


Our Time Together

by hydingjekyll



Category: BTOB, Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Romance, Slow Romance, just some teenage angst that needed a way out??, lots of other idols cameo cuz it is a school
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:14:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 31,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24317893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hydingjekyll/pseuds/hydingjekyll
Summary: "Just give me an hour a day! I'll prove to you I can capture your heart! If I don't, I won't bother you after graduation. Promise!"Something in Joy's eyes made Sungjae nod. He wasn't sure what but he agreed to her proposition. Without him realizing, he made Joy smile like a fool and jump like a clown in a circus. Without him realizing, he promised an hour of happiness for Joy. Without him realizing it, Sungjae set himself up with a whole lot of trouble Joy created all her high school life.
Relationships: Park Sooyoung | Joy/Yook Sungjae
Kudos: 18





	1. Before the Timer Starts [Prologue]

Sungjae thought about it again and again when he entered his classroom. What did he just go into? He didn't remember anything aside from Joy's pressuring stare into his soul and the fact he nodded to whatever she told him. 

_An hour a day? Is she crazy?_

Sungjae thought to himself. He looked out and saw Joy blabbering happily to her friends about what happened earlier. As of Sungjae's knowledge, Joy was always afraid to approach him and talk to him. How was she going to hold a conversation with him everyday then? How was she going to continue with her plan? Sungjae wasn't sure why but he knew Joy could handle it. She could make a way around of things, in an odd manner. Sungjae just wished Joy's anxiety would get the best of her and she would cower away from her offer.

"Yo, Sungjae!" 

Sungjae turned his head to a close friend of his, Kim Taehyung. Aside from the fact he was the ace in their school's basketball team, he also had a love interest who was in Joy's section. Every girl, well except Joy, wanted to date Taehyung but Taehyung had his eyes on another girl for two years already. Joy was the same as Taehyung but she was less popular compared to him. She also liked Sungjae for two years already, starting when they were classmates in their sophomore year. 

"I saw you with Joy, what's up?" Taehyung asked. Sungjae sighed before shaking his head.

"I messed up, big time," Sungjae said after looking at Taehyung. Taehyung cracked a smile before releasing a chuckle. He held on Sungjae's shoulder before asking what happened. Sungjae told him everything, from the moment Joy called him out to the nearby staircase to the moment Sungjae entered his classroom. Taehyung only laughed as a reply. 

"That's interesting, Sungjae!" Taehyung clapped. 

"Don't laugh at my suffering, Taehyung. This is serious. You know how hard I've tried to shake Joy off," Sungjae told him. 

"I've known her since we were middleschoolers, Sungjae, and I can assure you she's a stubborn girl," Taehyung said. "Nothing will stop her, not even that stalker you had when we were freshmen." 

"Don't mention her to me," Sungjae shuddered. "She still gives me nightmares. Wait, is Joy a stalker too?" 

"She claims to be," Taehyung shrugged. "I'm sure she's not as bad as that stalker you had though. At least Joy has friends." 

Sungjae groaned. He tried keeping a low profile ever since he transferred into that high school. He had his group of friends which consisted of half of their batch's male population. He tried being as quiet as possible. He didn't know why or how Joy ever noticed his presence, especially since they never even properly talked in class, save for the group works and when they were seatmates once and Joy never showed any sign of interest for him. 

"What am I going to do?" Sungjae held his head. Taehyung shrugged. 

"You got yourself into this mess, you'll get yourself out of it. Come on, you can do it, you're Yook Sungjae after all," Taehyung tried encouraging him. "And come on, an hour a day doesn't seem that bad. Joy's a nice talker, you know? Reason why she has a lot of friends, more friends compared to you."

"Hey!" Sungjae grumbled. "Joy does not have more friends than me." 

_A-choo!_

Joy sniffled after covering her mouth with her hankerchief. That was the third sneeze in a row. Was someone talking about her? Did her friends not take a bath that morning? Joy would never know and she preferred not to know. She didn't even need to think about that. She needed to erase all the anxiety she felt. She was overthinking things after she talked to Sungjae. Whose smart idea was that anyway?

_I hate you, Seulgi. No lollipops for you next week._

"So, how did it go?" 

Joy usually was comfortable with Wendy Son. Wendy had been her friend for over seven years after all. Correction, Wendy was her best friend. Wendy was above all Joy's friends. Joy and Wendy were a famous duo in the school for being always together and for having the same ideas most of the time but Wendy was slightly more popular in the musical area since she was one of the leading member of their Glee Club. 

"Horrible," Joy mumbled. 

"How horrible? Let's rate this. Hm, blue or orange?" 

"Orange," Joy pouted at her best friend. Wendy's eyes widened and patted Joy's back. 

"Why? Did you stutter? Did he reject it? Did you stutter?" Wendy asked. Joy shook her head. 

"I'm predicting the future, Wendy. And I know I'm going to mess this up," Joy frowned. "I never talked to Sungjae casually before! How am I going to maintain an hour a day? How am I going to talk to him for one hour? What are we going to talk about? I don't have a lot of ideas on what he likes. Son Seungwan, help me."

"You've been stalking his Facebook profile for over a year, girl," Wendy raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure you know something, just prolong the topic. And you are an expert in covering a lot of subjects within a short amount of time. You could do it."

Wendy raised a fist. 

"Fighting!"

Joy shook her head and wrapped her arms around Wendy. She felt nauseous. She wanted to barf, especially tomorrow. She knew she'll have a migraine the next day. After all, it'll all start the next day. 

Joy will have to take her word and talk to Sungjae the next day. She should talk about a lot of things and discover things about Sungjae. She should be like the social butterfly she always was. She should smile at him brightly. She should treat him like how she treated her close guy friends. She should be comfortable with him and not think twice about whatever she was going to say, as usual.

_Oh screw this, I'm going to fail horribly._


	2. First Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lunch and nervousness makes Joy an interesting girl

Joy was torn when she took a step into the school grounds. It was the D-Day. It was the beginning of a new chapter in her life, well, a chapter of talking with Sungjae. And she was really nervous about it. Since the previous night, Joy could not make up her mind on what they would talk about. They'll spend their whole lunch break with each other. Joy should keep things interesting so Sungjae wouldn't get bored of her.

Joy tossed her bag towards her seat and went out of her classroom. She needed to think. In her hand was a book she was reading, "Peter Pan". Yes, she was reading "Peter Pan" and she knew it was childish but reading it in English was a different matter in her school. She was fluent in English after all, more fluent than most of her batch and she was exercising her skills.

She turned her head to Sungjae's classroom. Apparently, he hadn't arrived yet. It was the first time Joy felt relief while Sungjae was gone. She was usually excited when Sungjae went to school early but that day was a different matter. Joy inhaled deeply before walking ahead to the yard of the school. Maybe she'll have an idea on what to talk about later on.

_I can do this. If I can't do this, then I can't get Sungjae for myself._

"Oppa, what's for breakfast?" 

Sungjae turned his head to his younger sister. He smiled at her gently before raising his spatula.

"Omelette rice, Jaesung's favourite," Sungjae answered. The youngest sibling cheered and grinned.

"Tomorrow, we'll have chicken since it's Sunghee's favourite," Sungjae told them. The only girl, Sunghee, clapped her hands.

"Hyung, hyung, could you teach me how to cook someday?" Jaesung asked. Sungjae nodded.

"I'll teach Sunghee too," Sungjae said. "Oh yeah, Sunghee, you mentioned wanting to enter my school?"

Sunghee nodded.

"It's a famous school after all. It'll be nice if I graduate there before moving into one of the SKY universities," Sunghee explained.

"Aigoo," Sungjae ruffled Sunghee's hair. "Our Sunghee-yah is being as wise as she is. That'll take you to a higher place someday."

"Noona's smarter than both of us after all, hyung," Jaesung said. Sunghee snickered.

"Stop praising me too much, boys," she said, her cheeks slowly turning red.

"We're just saying the truth, Sunghee-yah," Sungjae said as he smiled at his sister. "Let's hurry now. We don't want to be late for class."

"Joy, look," one of her classmates said as she pointed at the door of their classroom. "It's Yook Sungjae!"

Joy puffed her cheeks and avoided looking at the door. She wasn't fond of remembering that she made a promise to talk to Sungjae everyday. And one hour each day. What'll they talk about? The question tormented the poor girl that she might tear her hair out soon. She hit her head against her desk and sobbed silently. 

"Think, Joy, think," she repeated to herself until the school bell signalled the start of hell.

Joy groaned when she heard the bell signal the apocalypse, and by apocalypse, she meant lunch time. She was going to spend her entire lunch with Sungjae, the guy she desperately likes. It may sound like luck or a fairy tale but no princess sweats like Joy was at that moment. She shuffled through her things and brought out her lunch box, which her mother prepared for her. She sighed before standing up and marching towards the door of the room when the unexpected happened. 

"Oh, Joy, I was looking for you," Sungjae said as he casually leaned his arm against the door frame. 

_Control yourself, Joy, you can do this._ Joy brought her eyes up to meet with Sungjae's before turning away with her cheeks tainted red. _No, I can't do this. Screw positive thinking. Screw thinking. I can't even think when he's around._

"A-Ah," Joy gulped. "Want to go to the school's yard? I usually eat there with my friends. I know this spot where the sunlight doesn't really reach and yeah."

Sungjae paused for a second before nodding. 

"Why not? Lead the way, Joy."

 _I... I will._ Joy thought to herself before awkwardly marching out of the room. Sungjae tailed behind her. Joy knew the one hour already started but she was just too nervous to start a casual conversation. 

"So, uh," Sungjae cleared his throat. "Why do you call yourself Joy? Don't you have a Korean name? You never went to America right?"

"I do," Joy nodded. "Park Sooyoung and yes, I never went to America. I am a Busan girl after all."

"Oh right," Sungjae said. "You're not a Seoul girl. Are you sure though? I don't hear any dialect from you."

"Growing up in Seoul meant mastering your way of speaking," Joy proudly said with a smug look on her face. "But I do speak in dialect when I'm at home."

"So why Joy then? Why pick the name Joy?" 

Joy smiled a bit before looking down. 

"I want to bring happiness to everyone around me. I want everyone I love to be happy. Joy, it's synonymous to happiness you know and happiness would be a silly name," she chuckled. When she realized what she was doing, her face turned red once again before she quickened her pace. 

A small smile formed on Sungjae's lips when he noticed her embarrassment. He expected this to happen. Joy would get comfortable with him, realize she did and then cower away. It was a neverending cycle but he guessed, it would change someday if they keep doing this one-hour thing. 

"Your meal looks delicious," Sungjae said when Joy opened her lunch box. She showed him a wide grin and proudly told him her mother cooked for her. 

"Your meal doesn't look half bad, either," Joy said when Sungjae opened his. 

"Thanks for saying that. I cooked it myself," Sungjae said. Joy's eyes widened.

"What? You cook?" 

"Of course I do," Sungjae nodded. "Doesn't everyone here know how to cook? I mean, we're at the age of almost being independent."

Joy pouted before stuffing a spoonful of rice into her mouth. 

"I don't know," Joy mumbled," Cooking's never my forte. And my parents are too scared because I might burn my finger or like let boiling oil get into my eye."

"I know you won't be that stupid though," Sungjae chuckled, making Joy's heart skip a beat. 

"I.." Joy shook her head.

_Well, I was stupid enough to fall in love with you then drag into this one-hour mess._

After the one hour, Sungjae helped Joy clean up where she ate. 

"Messy eater, aren't we?"

Joy had her mouth shut. She was too shy once again. She avoided Sungjae's eyes before nodding. She hurriedly picked up her lunch box and went ahead of Sungjae without saying a word. Sungjae knew he won't be able to catch up to her so he walked comfortably with a smile on his face.

_Maybe this won't be that bad._


	3. Second Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sungjae and joy being suckers for their siblings

Sungjae entered his classroom and Taehyung immediately approached him, along with another close friend of theirs. Sungjae shrugged with every absurd question Taehyung shot him. Han Sanghyuk, who preferred to be called Hyuk, could only scoff. He was the first one who was reluctant to let Sungjae go and talk to Joy.

"What did you even talk about?" Taehyung asked. Sungjae shook his head before turning his head to Hyuk.

"Aren't you going to ask me anything, Hyuk?" Sungjae asked. Hyuk shrugged.

"Is she as awful as that stalker you had? I've heard she keeps a notebook with her where she writes information about the guys she like."

"What?" Taehyung blinked. "I never heard about that."

"It was back when we were like, in middle school. Long story short, she didn't get to date that certain sunbae," Taehyung explained. "And she stopped keeping a notebook, or maybe stalking all together."

"We wouldn't know though," Hyuk rolled his eyes before putting his hands on Sungjae's shoulders. "So you're going to keep up with this, dude?"

"What harm would it do?" Sungjae showed a small smile. "She seems like a person who has a lot to say. I'm interested in the stories she'll share. After all, isn't she like the database of her section?"

"I'm not going to stop you then," Hyuk decided. "Just make it clear to her whether you're interested in her or not, okay? I don't want to clean up your mess."

Sungjae nodded, his smile grew.

"Thanks for the change of heart, Hyuk."

Joy slapped Seulgi's arm a lot of times but Seulgi just ignored her efforts. She was pretty much used to it since, hello, they've known each other since the start of middle school. It wasn't as long as Joy knew Wendy but Seulgi was the next best bet for Joy. 

"I blew it, big time," Joy said as she made such an ugly face that Seulgi had no choice but to laugh.

"I'm sure you're pretty wrong, Joy," Seulgi reassured her. "Sungjae's not the type of guy who won't tell you he's not interested in you after all."

"Sungjae's too kind, Seulgi," she sobbed. "He might be too kind to reject me."

"Sheesh, your pessimist mind, Joy. You should be called Fear, not Joy," Seulgi said as she poked Joy's forehead. "I'm sure Sungjae at least likes you as a friend and former classmate. Don't worry. We'll get to the romantic love soon as long as you talk to him more."

"Well that might be scientifically true since there are studies that say that if you talk to a person more and you stare at that person eye-to-eye for more than five minutes each day, the other will have attachment or something, also if you compliment that person more," Joy paused to breathe. "But still, my case is very different!"

"Different?" Seulgi laughed. "How is it different?"

"Because it's me, Seulgi!" Joy emphasized. "I am a nervous wreck in front of Sungjae. Can't even do anything about it."

"Everyone's a nervous wreck when they're in front of the person they like," Seulgi chuckled.

"You flirt with yours," Joy flat out told her.

"Well, there are things such as my case," Seulgi avoided Joy's eyes. "But most cases are like yours! Just talk to him. It'll come naturally someday."

"And that someday will never come," Joy whined.

"Aigoo," Seulgi pinched Joy's cheeks before giggling. "Joy's really an adorable girl in love."

When dismissal time arrived, Sungjae couldn't avoid passing by Joy's room. Aside from that, Joy couldn't avoid going out hers so when these two events happened at the same time, it left Sungjae nodding in Joy's direction and Joy being flustered about it.

"So you're going home now?" Joy managed to squeak. Sungjae nodded.

"I still have to cook dinner. You?" 

Joy shook her head with a melancholic look.

"I still have to clean up our room before they let me," Joy said when she immediately changed the look on her face. Sungjae wasn't going to ask why she didn't look too enthusiastic to go home. He wasn't close enough to ask her after all.

"I'll be going now," Sungjae said before bowing.

"Take care," Joy said before going back into her room but she heard Sungjae's last words for her for that day.

"I'm looking forward to talking to you tomorrow!"

The next day, noon, Joy wasn't as nervous as she was the previous day. She was still nervous though but she was confident enough that she decided to fetch Sungjae from his classroom. She had her lunchbox in her hands and she marched out of the room. But as she set foot out of her classroom, her knees weakened. She breathed in deeply before whispering encouraging words to herself.

"Are you talking to yourself, Joy?" 

Joy paused for a moment when she realized who was talking. She lifted her head and met her eyes with Sungjae's. He had an amused expression on her face.

"You look like you're petrified to see me," Sungjae chuckled.

"Um, oh," Joy looked down and went ahead of Sungjae. The boy knew what to do and followed her with a distance of around half a meter between them. Joy was walking so fast but Sungjae noticed she slowed down, and relaxed when they arrived at the spot she liked.

"So," Sungjae looked around. "What did your mom cook for you today?"

"Meat," Joy grinned. "She likes rewarding us with meat since we're good daughters. She says we're good daughters after all."

"We?" Sungjae asked.

"I have a younger sister. She's a freshman here. It's not obvious we're siblings though," Joy told him before feeding herself. "We do look similar but we act like complete opposites and her grades are definitely better than mine. How about you though? Do you have a sibling?"

Sungjae gently smiled at her, sending chills to her spine. Joy never saw him smile like that before.

"I have two younger siblings. I have a younger sister and a younger brother. My sister's going to graduate from middle school soon and my brother's going to graduate from elementary."

"Woah, daebak," Joy clapped. 

"What? Why?" 

"You're all going to graduate soon!" Joy smiled at him. "Isn't that amazing? All of you at the same time! Omo, that's so rare!"

Sungjae could only chuckled on how adorable Joy looked. She looked very excited for them. She acted like she was a child. When Joy realized this, however, she stopped and looked down before gobbling another piece of meat.

"Aw," Sungjae frowned. "Why did you quiet down?" 

"I... uhh," Joy looked at him. "It's not lady-like to talk like that. I'm sorry."

"Just be yourself, Joy. I mean, what's more lady-like than being yourself?" Sungjae told her. Joy felt like there was a sudden energy boost in her.

"Really? I mean, you know who I am. You know how noisy and--"

"I wouldn't care," Sungjae shrugged. "Isn't that better though? Rather than pretending to be someone you're not, it's better if you let it all out. Aren't you here to show the best sides of yourself? What's better than the true side?" 


	4. Third Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> joy meets sungjae's sister and the sister gets too excited

"True self?" Joy tilted her head before looking down. "Who would love my true self? Nobody even tried to discover who I really am, save for Wendy." 

When Joy realized her words, she covered her mouth with her hands and shook her head. She laughed awkwardly before stuffing meat into her mouth. 

"Nevermind what I said, Sungjae! That was nothing!" She said, waving her hands in front of her as if she didn't like the idea of telling him everything. Sungjae knew he couldn't pry anything from Joy so he chose to ignore what she said earlier. They continued their conversation together, talking about games and studies. Joy would say something embarrassing occasionally and Sungjae would always laugh at how cute she looked. 

"You seem more comfortable," Sungjae told her as they packed up. 

"I do?" Joy blinked a few times before smiling gently to herself. "Then it's good."

"I hope you'll get more comfortable with me in the future, Joy," Sungjae said before standing up. 

"Am I progressing towards my goal?" Joy asked. Sungjae shrugged. 

"Well, we might not know soon but I guess I'll tell you when I'm certain about it."

Joy was walking like a robot into her classroom. Seulgi was there to welcome her, along with Yeri. Yeri hugged the poor awkward girl tightly before asking how she was.

"I'm..." Joy didn't know if she was okay or not. Her heart was beating faster and faster even though she wasn't with Sungjae. 

"You're red, baby," Seulgi said as she pointed at Joy's face. Yeri nodded in agreement. 

"What? Really?" Joy frantically searched for her mirror in her bag. All her friends could do was laugh. When Joy finally found her mirror, she stared at herself in horror. Her pale skin turned pink because of the embarrassment. 

"So, what happened?" Yeri asked as she cheekily smiled at Joy. "Did you figure out about his life or something? Does he show interest in you?"

Joy furiously shook her head and avoided their intimidating stares. 

"Don't try to force anything out of my mouth," she pouted. "God knows how embarrassing it was for me."

Per usual, Hyuk was outside, waiting for Sungjae to return. He saw him pause by Joy's classroom before going to theirs. He thought about the idea that Sungjae might be leading Joy on without thinking of it. Sungjae was innocent and naive. He was rather ignorant so it was a possible scenario. Sungjae then greeted Hyuk with a hello and high-fived his friend. 

"So, how was it?" Hyuk asked. 

"It went better compared to yesterday," Sungjae shrugged. "She's less awkward."

"Are you sure you aren't leading her on?" Hyuk asked. "Did you set the boundaries?"

"I'm treating her how I would treat my female friends, Hyuk. Don't worry," Sungjae entered the room and Hyuk followed him. "I'm not flirting with her or anything. I'm not giving false hopes."

"Dude, if you make Joy cry, hell will fall on you because she's friends with a lot of people," Hyuk warned him. 

"It's her choice to keep false hopes, Hyuk. If she cries, it isn't my fault. I'm just being me," Sungjae defended himself. "And I think Joy knows that herself. She seems mature enough to realize that."

Dismissal arrived and Joy decided to go to her old school. It had been years since she went there. She wanted to avoid her middle school at all costs but she knew she'll have to see where she began as an adolescent. When she entered the grand gates of the school, she saw a familiar face. She knew she never met the girl but the face was familiar for her. As if she had been staring at the person for years. 

"Eonni?" 

Joy turned her head and saw her younger cousin. Park Jimin, the younger sister of a cousin of hers who was the same age as she was, was a student of Joy's former school. Like her older brother, Jimin looked fluffy and soft. She looked chubby which she kinda was. 

"Jimin, it's been so long," Joy greeted her. Jimin nodded before turning her head to the direction Joy was staring. 

"Sunghee-yah!" Jimin shouted. The girl Joy was staring at turned her head and waved a bit. She then ran towards the two. 

"I forgot oppa told me to introduce you two to each other," Jimin said. Joy blinked a few times, so did Sunghee. 

"Why?" They both asked. 

"Wait, wait," Jimin stepped back. "Sunghee, this is Park Sooyoung, more known by her nickname Joy and she's my cousin. Joy-eonni, this is Yook Sunghee, and she's a classmate of mine, a top student at that."

"And..?" Joy raised an eyebrow. Jimin snickered. 

"You see, eonni," Jimin smirked. "Sunghee here is Sungjae-sunbae's younger sister."

Joy's eyes widened. She covered her face because darn it, she was really ugly during that time. She wasn't prepared to meet Sungjae's sister too soon. 

"What's with oppa?" Sunghee asked. Joy shook her head furiously but Jimin went on. 

"Eonni has a crush on your oppa," Jimin told her. Sunghee cracked a smile while Joy wanted to drag Jimin into the deeper pits of hell. 

"Really? Omo," Sunghee giggled. Joy shook her head before running out of the school grounds because of the embarrassment. 

_I'm going to get you, Park Jimin._

The next morning, Sungjae was cooking breakfast as usual. Sunghee just finished getting ready when she got down from her room. Jaesung was still in the bathroom during that time. Sunghee rushed to Sungjae's side and stared at the pancake at first. 

"What's the matter?" Sungjae asked his little sister. At first, Sunghee stayed quiet by his side. Sungjae shrugged and decided to give up. It was peculiar that Sunghee was the quiet one that morning. 

"Are you dating anyone, oppa?" She suddenly asked making Sungjae choke on air. 

"Wh-What?" He blinked. "Why'd you think that?"

"Then do you have someone you like, oppa?" Sunghee asked. Sungjae shook his head. 

"You know very well that I'm not ready for relationships just yet," he answered. "Why are you asking all that?"

"You know Jimin, right?" Sunghee asked. Sungjae nodded.

"Yeah, as the girl who has the same name as her brother, yes, and yes, your friend. Why?" he asked. 

"Well, I know she's a cousin with one of your batchmates. Do you know Joy-sunbae?" Sunghee asked. Sungjae's eyes widened. 

"How did you come to know Joy?" Sungjae asked. 

"Oh, Jimin introduced us to each other. She's really cute," Sunghee described Joy further and all Sungjae could do was laugh. He didn't expect the two to meet but it sounded like a girl meeting her favourite KPOP idol or something. 

"And so? Do you like her?" Sungjae asked as he put the pancakes on three plates. Sunghee nodded. 

"But that's not important! Oppa, oppa, do you like her?" 


	5. Fourth Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> joy walking with her crush to school

"I like her as a friend, Sunghee," Sungjae smiled at his sister. "And nothing more."

"It would be fun if you like her as something more but I'm not going to force you to like eonni," Sunghee crossed her arms. "I know I have no control over you after all." 

"Good," Sungjae chuckled. "Call Jaesung and tell him to hurry up. We all don't want to be late for school after all."

"Okay, oppa!"

"Hey, Joy!"

Joy stopped talking to her sister for a moment and turned her head. When she saw who it was, she signaled her sister to go on without her and she did. Joy waited for Sungjae before starting to walk again to her classroom. 

"Who was that girl with you?" Sungjae asked.

"My sister," Joy answered. "She's a freshman here."

"Oh right, you told me about her before," Sungjae snapped his fingers. "Why did you let her go ahead?"

Joy shrugged, obviously not wanting to answer the question. Sungjae just noticed how Joy's eyes don't stay still whenever she talked about her sister. She mentioned the young girl before, not naming her ever. She referred to her sister as "my sister". Joy described her as her complete opposite but never did she look like she was comfortable talking about her.

"Anyways, you look like you're cool talking to me," Sungjae said, changing the topic. Joy raised her fist in the air and smiled triumphantly.

"I'm doing my efforts," she said. "I don't want to be awkward with you after all. I want to talk to you a lot. I want you to know me better after all and who knows, you might consider me as a potential mate."

Sungjae wasn't sure if his ears were deceiving him but did Joy just directly flirt with him for the first time? It wasn't the usual flirting with compliments, it was the Joy-styled flirt, weird but cute. Sungjae could only chuckle as a response. He wasn't sure how to reply to that after all.

"I'm sorry for the lame--" Joy covered her face. "Forget it. I'm embarrassing myself in front of you."

"Don't worry," Sungjae ruffled Joy's hair. "I'm looking forward to lunch later on."

Joy stood still in front of her room's door as she stared at Sungjae. Sungjae only kept on walking towards his room, not looking back at the lovestruck teenage girl. Joy managed to walk towards her seat, wobbling a bit and bumping into a few chairs. Seulgi immediately noticed her friend and caught her before she fell on her knees.

"Was what I saw real?" Seulgi asked. Joy hugged Seulgi tightly. 

"Omo, omo, omo," was all Joy could say. Seulgi laughed at how her friend was acting and let Joy calm herself down. Joy looked up to Seulgi with furrowed eyebrows. 

"He touched me, Seulgi," Joy waved her hands. "He touched my hair, oh my." She covered her face with her hands. "What saintly thing did I do to deserve this? Oh my god."

"What else? Girl, I saw you walking into school with him," Seulgi said. Joy slammed her hands on the desk with an exasperated sigh. 

"Oh god, the world felt like it stopped rotating and like time stopped and god, I had confidence talking to him. I flirted with him, Seulgi! I flirted with him!" 

"What did you say?" Seulgi raised an eyebrow.

"The... The... mate thing..?" Joy hesitated saying it but it was Seulgi and she trusted Seulgi a lot. 

"What?" Seulgi laughed. "At least you didn't use your pick-up lines. It may work on girls but I'm sure it won't work on Sungjae."

Joy nodded.

"I know, Seulgi. That's why I am never going to use pick-up lines on Sungjae. God, that would be an embarrassment," she sighed before smiling at Seulgi. "But still, at least our relationship improved. I never thought I'll get this far. Think about it, Seulgi. I was never able to approach Sungjae before."

"I'm proud of you, my friend," Seulgi patted her back. "Well, he did tell you before that he didn't want to be awkward with anyone. Just do your best and you'll snatch that guy's heart."

Seulgi raised a fist with a determined expression on her face. 

"Do you really think so?" Joy asked. "You know, I'm just you know... The best I can get is his friendship but that's better than nothing right? At least I'm able to talk to him."

"That's a wise decision, Joy," Seulgi clapped. "Don't keep your hopes too high or else, you'll get hurt. Anyways, let's go and find the others!"

Sungjae raised an eyebrow at Joshua who was staring at him. Sungjae was about to ask why he was behaving like that, but Joshua raised a hand to stop him. Sungjae felt weird. Though he was used to Joshua's company more than anyone in the classroom for some reason, Sungjae thought it was queer for him to behave like that. 

"Something's different," Joshua remarked. Sungjae didn't talk to have him elaborate but Joshua stayed quiet for a few more minutes. 

"What's different? Don't tell me the same thing as Taehyung tells me. And don't act like Hyuk, okay?" Sungjae spoke up. Joshua snickered before breaking eye contact with Sungjae. He slumped on his seat and grinned. 

"I don't want to tease you like Taehyung. I don't want to scold you like Hyuk. I'm just curious," Joshua looked up to Sungjae. "Just curious about some things."

Sungjae knew Joshua very well. Joshua was a smart student, someone Sungjae depended on when it came to English and Math. Though Sungjae was, himself, a great mathematician, he couldn't avoid copying from Joshua most of the times. He depended on the boy and Sungjae knew he should answer each of Joshua's questions. 

"Do you know who Joy is? As in, her reputation and everything, in this school?" Joshua fired his first question. Sungjae furrowed his eyebrows. Most of his batchmates studied in the same school during middle school, including Taehyung, Joy, Joshua, Seulgi, and Hyuk. He still had a good guess though, since he studied in that school for nearly three years. But he never confirmed if ever these rumours were true. 

"Joy and I never became classmates before and we never directly talked to each other. I saw her in the corridors and she saw me. We know each other's names because of the people around us. Hence, it's not unlikely that you know her better than I do but when it comes to reputations, an outsider sees it more. I know more and I see more," Joshua said. Sungjae couldn't agree more. He knew Joshua knew more about rumours than him. Sungjae was a quiet man, he didn't like dwelling in other people's business, including Joy's. But with the matter and relationship they have at that moment, Sungjae thought twice about Joy. 

"Why? Are you planning to tell me anything?" Sungjae asked. Joshua smirked once again and stood up before patting Sungjae's back. 

"She's bound to tell you something and by something, I mean everything. She's an open book, Sungjae. You just need to ask questions for her to open up. You need to ask questions for her to know which to tell you and which to hide."


	6. Fifth Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> honesty hour??

_She's an open book, Sungjae. You just need to ask questions for her to open up. You need to ask questions for her to know which to tell you and which to hide._

Sungjae has been staring into nothing since the bell signalled for lunch to start. He did ask questions before but she always looked uncomfortable telling him everything. It was as if she was hiding more than half of her life from him. He wasn't sure how Joshua got that idea since he and Joy seldom talked. Sungjae only noticed them talk about school things, such as teachers leaving Joy's things to Joshua for some reason. That was about it.

Sungjae only stood up when he noticed Joy by the door. She looked nervous and shy. Maybe because of what she told him that morning. Sungjae shook his head and decided to try out Joshua's suggestion when they converse later on. He took his lunch from his bag and went to the door. Like the usual routine, Joy went ahead of Sungjae but at least, they were closer at that moment. Sungjae guessed it would only take a few days before Joy would let him walk beside her.

Joy went ahead and sat down before looking up to Sungjae. 

"Hm?" 

Sungjae only smiled at her to reassure her it was nothing. But it was a mistake since Joy looked away with a pink face. He sat down in front of her before preparing to eat.

"If something's troubling you, just tell me," Joy quietly said. "I mean, if this arrangement between us bothers you, just tell me. We could just stop."

Sungjae's eyes widened before he regained his composure. 

"Stop?" Sungjae chuckled. "I think it's refreshing to talk to you. I rarely talk to girls and this could be an exercise. Aren't you awkward with guys?"

Joy looked up before shrugging. 

"I'm not awkward with Taehyung, I think. And I'm not awkward with Sehun and Jong-in," Joy answered. "But I'm awkward with other guys."

"Like me?" 

Joy blushed furiously before shaking her head. She then realized what she did and nodded her head. But then she was confused and only sighed. 

"I'm not sure?" She questioned herself. "I mean, I'm still getting used to you."

"It's fine," Sungjae took a spoonful of rice into his mouth. "We're the same. I'm still getting used to you."

"I watched a video in Youtube where they said people could get closer if they keep talking to each other and look into..." Joy's voice trailed off as she looked at him. "Each other's eyes."

Sungjae was shocked from the sudden fact Joy shared. Was she implying something? He wasn't sure. He never understood girls after all. 

"Well, let's do it then," Sungjae looked at her. "I'm going to ask you questions and you're going to answer them. Deal? Since I think you know a lot about me already."

Joy hesitantly nodded before gobbling the last meat left in her lunch box. 

"What are you curious about?" Joy asked. "Let's have this hour be an honesty hour."

"Okay then," Sungjae snickered. He then thought for a moment about what to ask her. He wasn't sure what to ask her. He wasn't sure what to say. He stared into her eyes and noticed how sparkling they looked, especially when she smiled. She was highly anticipating his question, maybe she was thinking about the possible questions Sungjae would ask her.

"First of all, I've been noticing how much you avoid the topic about your sister," Sungjae inhaled deeply. "Can you tell me the truth about the relationship between you two?" 

Joy was shocked at first since why would Sungjae ask about her family? Specifically, about her sister? But nonetheless, she needed to answer it. She sighed before looking at Sungjae. Her heart pounded like crazy. After all, she never had someone stare at her for that long.

"My sister and I... We're polar opposites," she began. "She's the hardworking one, the perfect one and I'm, well, Joy. And I was never someone more than Joy. And she was someone more than me. She is Park Seohyun after all, Park Seohyun. She is loved by everybody and I'm not an exception. I love my sister, more than anyone in the world maybe. And I want to protect her. And there are conflicting sides inside me."

Joy went on about telling Sungjae about how much people compared Joy and her sister. She told him about how much people told her to be like her sister. Sungjae wasn't even sure if he saw a tear form in her left eye. She went on and on, describing how hard it was to love and despise her sister at the same time. She smiled bitterly when the school bell rang. 

"And that's where I end it," Joy told him before standing up. "Honesty hour's done. I'll tell you more if I get you know.."

"I understand," Sungjae smiled at her before standing up. The distance between them lessened compared when they first started their conversation. Sungjae felt like Joy was letting him enter this bubble she made for herself. But the bubble had lots of layers beneath the cover. It would take long before Sungjae could completely know who Joy was. But he thought the time wouldn't be wasted, he was really curious about her after all. 

"I heard you like skinship?" Sungjae said. Joy was flustered by the sudden words. 

"What? Skinship?" Joy laughed awkwardly. "Not really, err.." She sighed. "There's no use hiding it from you, isn't there?"

"I saw you with Jong-in a few times. And yes, I've noticed. You do pick on him a lot," Sungjae told her. Joy pouted. 

"It's how I show him my affection. I love playing around the bronze child," Joy chuckled. "We're really close after all."

Sungjae knew he had a goal to reach if he wanted to know more about Joy. And that was to be close to Joy like how Jong-in was close to her. 

"I hope we become that close though," Joy whispered to herself before smiling at Sungjae. "This is my room. Goodbye."


	7. Sixth Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sungjae's curiosity and joy admiring sehun's ass

Just as Joy stepped into the room, Seulgi suddenly dragged her into the classroom. Weirdly, she didn't ask Joy about Sungjae. She only forced Joy to look outside. At first, Joy was confused. But then, she noticed Sehun stretching his muscles. Joy looked at Seulgi again and raised her eyebrows. Seulgi smirked at her.

"Nice view, isn't it?" Seulgi whistled. Joy nodded in agreement. 

"Really nice," Joy snickered. "Every time Sehun stretches, I just see the El Dorado."

Seulgi elbowed Joy before laughing. 

"So how was it?" Seulgi asked. "It took you more than a hour, you know, so it just means you two had something to talk about."

Joy shrugged with a smile on her face. 

"It was heavenly, per usual. He had a lot of questions for me," she answered. "Luckily, I knew how to avoid some topics."

"Joshua," Sungjae automatically called for his friend when he entered the room. The mentioned friend turned his head after he exchanged words with another classmate of theirs. He smirked at Sungjae before approaching him. 

"So, did she let you in?" 

Sungjae shrugged. 

"I think not," Sungjae paused, pursing his lips. "Yet."

"Aren't you determined? Too determined," Joshua teased. "Sorry for being like TaeTae but you act like you're really interested in Joy."

"She's an open book, just like you said," Sungjae said. "But you need the right key to open a book like her."

Joshua grinned at him before nodding. He was glad Sungjae knew what Joshua meant before. Joy was rather secretive, a mysterious character of the sort. Joshua, himself, had a lot of questions for Joy, but he knew he'll never get the answers he wanted. It was Sungjae's role to ask Joy these questions. Joshua and Sungjae thought at the same wavelength. Joshua knew Sungjae would think of the same questions Joshua had been thinking ever since he heard of Joy. 

"Did you ask about her social life?" Joshua asked. Sungjae shook his head.

"That's not really important for now," Sungjae whistled. "Family life molds a person. Whoever Joy really is, it's mainly because of her surroundings back at her home."

"Nice," Joshua showed a thumbs-up. "Wise choice. So, did you ask much?"

"She didn't let me," Sungjae frowned. "The right key, huh. I think only a few men have that."

"I have guesses," Joshua said. "Such as Jong-in and Jungkook. Aren't they the first people she told about her feelings for you?"

"Should I ask them then?" 

Joshua shrugged. 

"Your decision, bro."

As soon as Joy's section was dismissed, Wendy immediately called for her friend. She waved her hands around so Joy could notice her and she did. She ran outside of the room and raised her eyebrows with expectation painted all over her face.

"I asked him everything that I could about that Sungjae dude," Wendy told her. "God, you made me sound like a stalker."

"Well, I had no choice! You're classmates with his bestfriend!" Joy said before hugging Wendy. "I'm so lucky to have you!"

"You're more than lucky, Joy. Seriously," Wendy rolled her eyes. "I swear if we weren't friends for that long."

"And I'm glad we are!" Joy showed a wide smile. "So, what did Jongdae say?"

"Okay, most of the time, Sungjae's parents aren't usually home. Mr Yook goes from country to country as an agent of a company and Mrs Yook works in a nearby orphanage, more of helps out there," Wendy elaborated on all the things Jongdae told her. Joy listened attentively and made sure no one else hears of their conversation. Call it stalking, Joy called it investigating. She needed to know more about Sungjae after all. She didn't stalk his profile on SNS so she's pretty much clueless.

"Thanks so much, Wendy!" Joy clapped her hands. "You outdid yourself today."

"You're welcome, Joy," Wendy crossed her arms. "But if you want to know him more so much, why don't you ask him himself than ask his friends? Isn't that the normal thing to do?"

"When was I ever normal, Wendy?" Joy turned her back to Wendy. "Aside from that, I'm still getting used to talking to him. I'll get to that point in the future. Don't worry. Just not now."

"So, Sungjae, why did you call me out? Do we have a match later on or something?" Jong-in asked. Sungjae looked anxious for once. Well, after all, Sungjae wasn't the type of person to ask others about girls, especially a specific girl whom he talks to every lunch. It might sound like he liked her but he didn't. He was sure of that. But his curiosity had the best of him. He needed to know more about her. Joy was like a riddle he wanted to answer. She was like an illusion he couldn't figure out. She was like an unexplainable phenomena he wanted to figure out. 

But every time Sungjae attempted opening his mouth, his throat felt dry. It was out of his character to ask about Joy. He desperately avoided her before. Why was he going to ask about her? 

"About Joy," he finally answered. Jong-in raised his eyebrows and his lips formed a smirk. 

"So you having troubles with her? She's a troublemaker after all," Jong-in commented. "She flirts with everyone but she can't flirt with the single guy she truly likes. She's a paradox, a funny one. She acts like the opposite of how she feels. That's who Joy is."

"I'm not really having trouble with her but that's it," Sungjae told him. "She doesn't open up to me."

"That's natural for everyone, I think," Jong-in said. "I mean, you've just started to talk to each other right?"

Sungjae nodded. 

"But still..."

"It'll take you a few days and you'll know even the hour she last peed," Jong-in chuckled. "She adapts to people a little bit faster than a normal girl. But since you're her crush, it might take a little longer. She does want to look pleasing in front of you. She might think you wouldn't like her for who she really is, the rowdy girl and the definition of joy and energy."

"Are you sure, Jong-in?" 

Jong-in showed him a reassuring smile before nodding. 

"Trust me, Sungjae. I've known her since middle school. You could even ask Jungkook, granted that he isn't busy with any contest."


	8. Seventh Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> is sungjoy possible?

Sungjae was running late. 

Well, he usually does during this last year he had in his school. He didn't have a particular care for being on time. Sure, every time he went to school late was recorded in his school record but he didn't really care. The important thing was that he was there. 

He was around 15 minutes late which was normal for students in his school. He coolly walked to his room after going to the school's office. Naturally, he passed by Joy's classroom. His first instinct was to find her and he did. She was fooling around with Henry per usual. The way she laughed seemed so natural, so normal for her. But Sungjae felt like something was wrong, completely wrong with her. 

Sungjae turned his head away after he passed by her classroom. He may be late for class but he hoped he wasn't too late on knowing Joy for who she really was.

Joy was glad. Really, really glad. Why? One, their teacher was absent. She had a lot of free time to fool around with Henry, Jong-in, Seulgi, and her other classmates. Two, she had an hour to spend with Sungjae later on. Three, she noticed Sungjae looking at her when he passed her classroom. She could feel her heart exploding with happiness. She wasn't all sure anymore on what to do. 

"You look like an idiot," Seulgi pointed out. Joy shrugged before laughing. 

"I am always an idiot, Seulgi," Joy told her. Seulgi shrugged before pointing at Irene.

"What about her then?" Seulgi commented. Irene hit the back of Seulgi's head before frowning. 

"Sure, always tell me I'm stupid," Irene said as she crossed her arms. "Because I'm the most stupid one here."

"Come on. Don't say that," Yeri pouted. "Irene has her own smarts."

Seulgi rolled her eyes before looking straight at Yeri. 

"Aren't you such an angel?" She sarcastically said. Yeri only smiled at her while Irene attacked Yeri with a hug. 

"Anyhow, any progress with your one true love?" Irene decided to return to their first topic. Joy shrugged.

"He treats me like he treats other girls, I guess. I mean, we're still in the same platonic relationship," she answered before showing a smile. "But that's not going to destroy my hopes of ever dating him!"

"I'm sure Wendy told you a lot of times to be careful, Joy. You're a grown woman. You should know your limits," Seulgi reminded her. 

"I know my limits," Joy said matter-a-factly. "I am not Sungjae's type nor I will ever be his type. He never told me what he wanted in a girl but I'm sure it's not this emotional wreck."

"Psh," Irene scoffed. "Don't let a man determine your self-worth, Joy. Sungjae may never fall in love with you--"

"Irene!" Yeri said with a frown. 

"It is true, Yeri," Irene rolled her eyes. "But remember there are heaps of people out there who love you for being you. We're here. Jungkook and Jong-in are here. Heck, even Sehun's here for you. There's also Wendy and our classmates. Sungjae is a piece of trash if he hurts you more and leads you on."

"He told me he's not leading me on," Joy frowned. "He set the boundaries between us."

"He keeps on reminding you that you two being an item might be possible," Seulgi breathed in. "Might. But the probability is quite low if we think realistically."

"I think the probability's high," Yeri shared. "Sungjae often looks at Joy, even before this one-hour contract they have. I heard from Bomi that Sungjae often asks her about Joy. I think the SungJoy couple could be possible."

Seulgi shrugged. 

"We don't have the power to control our friend's future," she said. "Let's just hope for the best, shall we?"

The remaining three girls nodded with a small smile on their lips. 

"Let's," Joy said. 

Sungjae rested his head on his desk. His eyes roamed around his classroom after his teacher left the place. He was tired. They had a lot of projects recently. He couldn't get enough sleep. He couldn't even enjoy his pass time recently. He matched his gaze with Taehyung's and only smiled lightly. 

Sungjae wasn't ready for commitments just yet. Joy knew that. He told her that when she attempted to confess to him at the school's rooftop. And yet, Joy still didn't give up on the boy. Sungjae admired her perseverance to capture his heart but he was sure enough it wasn't working. He needed to concentrate on his siblings, on raising them to be good people while his parents were away. 

Sungjae didn't have an ideal type. He really never thought about having a relationship while he was studying. He understood why his guy friends preferred girls over books but he never thought of being like them. Sungjae wanted to concentrate on one thing at a time, and at that moment, it wasn't a romantic relationship with the opposite sex.

Sungjae knew he had to break Joy's heart someday. But he was too nice to tell her off. Joy was too, well, Joy. She was filled with happiness when he first saw her. The gleam in her eyes were so pure. The smile on her face showed no worries. Her laughter seemed so light. Her heart was so fragile. Sungjae heard from Jong-in that Joy had someone else before she graduated middle school. And when he broke her heart, Joy changed. Well, that was according to Jong-in.

Sungjae never wanted to hurt anyone. He was a nice guy. He never wanted to say anything bad to a person but breaking Joy's heart might be a necessary evil someday. He'll have to do that when the time comes. Sure, there was a possibility he'll change his mind after this one-hour mess he entered but it was too low for him to anticipate any change between them. 

_'This is why I try to avoid being noticed by anyone. How the hell did Joy manage to notice me when all I did last year was stay silent in a corner?'_


	9. Eighth Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jealousy is joy's emotion

Joy happily marched along the corridors to Sungjae's classroom. She was really excited to talk to him, though she was a bit shy about it. She peeped into the room through the window and called his name. But he didn't respond to her. She continued to call his name, even ending up to call his full name. But again, his head was on his desk. 

"Yook Sung--"

"I'm tired, Joy," Joy managed to hear that from Sungjae. "Can we not talk now? I want to sleep."

Joy's eyes drooped down. Sungjae wasn't even facing her. She frowned before returning the smile on her face again. 

"It's... It's okay, Sungjae. I didn't know," Joy's voice decreased in volume. "I'm sorry... for disturbing you."

Sungjae knew he hurt Joy's feelings with how he acted but stress was taking over. He felt pressured in his room, especially since he was going to report a lot of things on that day. Taehyung raised an eyebrow at him after he watched Joy leave the vicinity of his sight. Taehyung then proceeded on approaching Sungjae and sitting in front of him. 

"You could've rejected her in a nice way," Taehyung started. Sungjae growned.

"Being nice is tiring sometimes," Sungjae reasoned. "And sheesh, how can I shake a girl off?" 

"I thought you were interested in her," Taehyung whistled. "Was I wrong?"

"Interested, in a sense that, well, I want to be her friend," Sungjae explained himself. "Joy's an interesting character, as much as every student in our batch."

"As much as every student?" Taehyung laughed. "You must be joking me here, Sungjae. If you're planning to break her heart..."

"I know," Sungjae's lips formed a thin line. "I don't like anyone in particular now, Taehyung. I don't even have an ideal type. What is an overly romantic girl doing liking a plant like me?"

"Well, I don't know," Taehyung shrugged. "You're the first guy I know who she likes and is not flirty with anyone. Like have you seen her past interests? Geez, she loves them bad boys."

"What is she doing with me then?" Sungjae raised his head. 

"You're her angel," Taehyung snickered. "I think she wants to change for the better and you're her key to the bright future she dreams of."

"What are you doing here?" Seulgi asked when Joy returned to their room. "What's with that long face?"

"Sungjae said he needs to rest," Joy slowly went back to her seat. "And I let him. He's one of the best students I know. I should let him have the rest that he needs."

Seulgi hugged Joy tightly and smiled at her. 

"Then let's just trust whatever he said," Seulgi told her. "If he's lying, so be it. And if he's not, bless his soul."

"Besides, we're not dating just yet. I have no right to get mad," Joy muttered. 

"Yet?" Seulgi laughed. "You are so full of hope, Joy."

"Of course," Joy snickered. "It's the only thing I have with me, besides you guys." 

"I think I should say sorry," Sungjae muttered. Joshua raised an eyebrow. 

"Oho?" He lessened the distance between their faces. "You think so, Yookie my boy?" 

"Don't tease me," Sungjae pushed Joshua away. "I was rather rude to her."

"Be fast then," Joshua smirked. "Before she goes home."

Sungjae stood up. 

"I will." 

Sungjae went out of the room but Chorong blocked his way from going out. Sungjae paused for a moment. He heard a few times that Chorong had a crush on him but he never believed any of the rumours. Chorong never acted like she liked Sungjae in any way. She treated him like how she treated all of the other men in their class.

"Sungjae, can you help me out?" 

"Hey," Joy coolly tapped Henry's shoulder. "Do you have anything else to do?"

"Nothing," Henry shrugged. "You?" 

"Nah," Joy held Henry's hand and swung him around. "Bored. Our crushes aren't going home soon, aren't they?"

"We have an early dismissal," Henry rolled his eyes. "What do you think?" 

"Sorry, ain't a genius, Henry," Joy frowned. "Are you going to help me approach him again?"

"I might," Henry paused. "Depends. You're such a coward when it comes to him."

"Psh--" Joy laughed. "I've been doing good, you know."

"Oh look, it's Sungjae," Henry pointed at Sungjae's direction with his other hand. "Want to go to him?"

Joy turned her head to his direction but she soon frowned. Chorong... Chorong was with Sungjae? Joy pulled Henry towards him and told him to not mind Sungjae at that moment. She then turned her back at them and pulled Henry along with her. She knew she had no right to be jealous but she was. She knew Sungjae wouldn't care but she wished she was wrong.

Sungjae only noticed Joy when she was storming away from him with Henry on her trail. He didn't know why he felt guilty. He was just helping Chorong out with bringing the hand-outs their teacher gave to her. He knew he had no fault in the situation. Chorong looked at him with confusion when his lips formed a thin line.

"Are you okay, Sungjae?" Chorong asked. Sungjae hesitated but he nodded. He should be alright. He didn't like Joy in any way. And it was better for her to be with Henry at that moment. She could rant with Henry while it wasn't Sungjae's dismissal. But there was something in Joy's step, there was something in how she looked back at Sungjae, that struck him with guilt and another foreign feeling.

"Are you sure?" Chorong asked before she held Sungjae's wrist. "Because you've been staring at that direction for five minutes already."

"I'm fine, Chorong," Sungjae smiled at her before looking back at the stack of hand-outs on the teacher's table. "Just a minor problem. I can handle this soon."

"If you say so then, I have no right to meddle," Chorong whistled. "Ah, right, want to eat lunch together tomorrow?"


	10. Ninth Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> inch by inch, we're moving closer

"I think it's hopeless, Henry," Joy sighed as she played with Henry's hair. "Chorong is prettier than me. She's nicer. She's better off than me. I wouldn't be surprised if Sungjae picked her over me."

"Here you are again with being overly dramatic, Joy," Henry chuckled. "You know you're pretty too. And you fit Sungjae more compared to that Chorong. She may look like his perfect match for you but if you look at it with my eyes, SungJoy is the best ship here!"

"Best? You mean it, Henry?" Joy raised an eyebrow. Henry nodded with a smile.

"Of course, why would I lie to my dismissal bu--" Henry was cut off by a familiar voice. 

"Joy!" 

Joy paused for a moment, not daring to look at the direction where the voice came from. It was wishful thinking for it to be him but she was sure she couldn't mistake his voice for anyone else's. Henry stared at her with a smile on his face, as if telling her to go to the owner of the voice. 

"Aren't you going to at least look at me?" 

Joy roamed her eyes to see his pants before moving her head up to meet with his eyes. He looked tired, really tired. Maybe because he was running or something. Joy continued on brushing Henry's hair with her hand. She didn't want to say anything so she only smiled at him.

"Are your classes over, Sungjae?" She asked. Henry sat up and tilted his head to the right. 

"Are you dating Chorong, you piece of trash?" 

Henry's question caught the two off guard. Sungjae stared at Henry with widened eyes while Joy hit Henry's back. 

"What kind of question is that, Henry? That's just stupid!" Joy awkwardly laughed. 

"Well, it's not really stupid," Sungjae commented, making Joy look at him. 

"What do you mean, Sungjae?" Joy asked. "Are you dating Chorong?" 

Sungjae smiled at her before putting his hands on her head. He slowly patted her head for a few minutes before Henry sat up.

"I think you two need some privacy so I'll go on right ahead," Henry said. "I'll see you in class tomorrow, Joy." 

And with that, the pair was left alone. Joy looked down before looking up to Sungjae. He looked like he cared for her. He looked like he regretted snapping at her like that. But it was only wishful thinking. Joy wished Sungjae cared for her more than a friend. 

"So?" Joy whistled. 

"I'm not dating Chorong," Sungjae said before sitting beside her. "I'm not even sure if Chorong likes me."

"And if she does?" Joy played with her skirt. "What if you were her type, Sungjae?" 

Sungjae shrugged, inching closer to Joy. 

"I wouldn't know until it happens," Sungjae answered. "You know I don't think about this type of matters."

"Oh right," Joy inwardly smiled. "Thank god."

"Did you say something?" Sungjae turned his head to her with a raised eyebrow.

Joy looked back at him and stared in his eyes. She really saw the world in his eyes. He was her galaxy. She was lost in him. She didn't care about anything now that he was with her. She knew it was selfish, ignorant for her to wish for something more. But she did. It was foolish. It was childish and risky.

"Nothing," Joy smiled at him. She was ready to take risks if it was him.

The two talked more and more, even though the sun was setting. They only left their place when the guard told them to leave. Sungjae offered taking Joy home but she declined. Sungjae insisted but she rejected her offer. She reminded him of his siblings and the fact Joy had strict parents. It was better if they separated by the school's gate.

Joy felt butterflies in her stomach as she turned her back against Sungjae's. She walked without looking back, a grin remaining on her face. Her heart pounded like crazy. Her face was as red as an apple. She was getting all giddy inside, because of one boy. She was so proud of herself. She was getting closer and closer to Sungjae. Her heart was filled with excitement, with hope. Finally, she might get the happily ever after she always wanted. 

She stopped by the front of her house's gate and stared at the cold building. It had two floors, and looked finer than most of the houses on their street. But it felt so empty staring at it from there. The excitement in her heart was replaced with gloom. She opened the gate and closed it behind her. She approached the door and heard her parents arguing from upstairs. She sighed before opening the door. Everything was quiet except for the contradicting words from her parents' room. 

She removed her shoes before going upstairs to her room. She opened the door and saw her sister sleeping on their desk. She shrugged before opening the closet and grabbing a blanket. She carefully put the blanket on her sister's shoulders and threw her own belongings on her bed. She sighed before lying down.

"This place just feels so empty," Joy closed her eyes. "Emotionless, hopeless, and I fit right in." 

She opened them again and imagined Sungjae's smile. She managed to open up to him about several things going around her life. She told him about her strict parents and her perfect sister. She told him how she saw herself. He let her cry in his arms. And it was the warmest moment Joy had in her life. She was so used to pretending she was "Joy" that she forgot she was Sooyoung. 

"You are my moon and my stars, you save me from being consumed by the darkness," Joy smiled to herself. "Thank you, Sungjae."

Sungjae was tackled by his younger brother once he stepped into their home. He smiled and ruffled Jaesung's hair. 

"Where's Sunghee?" Sungjae asked. Jaesung pointed upstairs before telling Sungjae that Sunghee was studying.

"Really, that girl," Sungjae laughed. "Anyways, are you hungry, Jaesung?"

"Very!" Jaesung answered. "I waited until you could get here, hyung! Why did you arrive so late?"

"Just..." Sungjae smiled. "School stuff, you know?"

"Whatever," Jaesung crossed his arms with a pout. "Just cook me food already, hyung! I think noona's hungry too!"

"Just wait, little guy," Sungjae went into the kitchen. "I'll prepare you the best dinner a Yook could cook!"


	11. Tenth Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sungjae calls her sooyoung

The next day, Sungjae sought after Joy when he went to school. His search wasn't in vain when he saw the lady near the window, staring at the open field outside. It looked like she was more refreshing, easygoing that day. Sungjae couldn't avoid staring at her. It was so different compared to the fragile child he held in his arms the previous evening. 

At first, no one noticed his presence but after a few minutes, a few classmates of Joy did notice him. They teased him a few times before finally snapping Joy from her trance. She blinked a few times before turning her head to the door. She waved a bit at Sungjae before approaching him.

"How are you?" Sungjae asked. It was obvious he was worried. Joy managed to hide a lot from everyone's eyes. She was a master at pretending she was happy, that she was whole. She looked like a happy virus. But masks did hide everything from the naked eye. And Sungjae was lucky enough to see through Joy's facade.

"I'm doing well, better than last night," Joy reassured him with a gentle smile. "Thanks."

"You don't have to thank me," Sungjae patted her head. "It was a pleasure getting to know you better."

"I..." Joy's face burned up. "I... Sungjae, OMG."

Sungjae blinked a few times before stepping back. Joy looked up to him and showed him a red face. She looked so embarrassed. Sungjae wasn't sure how to deal with the situation. He thought she was perfectly comfortable with him but he guessed he was wrong. 

"I'm so..." Joy fanned herself," sorry. I'm still getting used to... God, I look so silly right now, don't I?" 

"No," Sungjae shook his head," you don't. You look like yourself. Silly's not the right word."

"Then what is?" Joy asked. Sungjae thought of the word before shaking his head. He smiled at her before ruffling his head. He ran towards his classroom right after.

"It's a secret you need to figure out, Park Sooyoung!"

_Park Sooyoung..._

Joy hadn't been called that name for a while. She didn't hate it. But she couldn't say she had an attachment to the name. The only people who called her Sooyoung was her family. She preferred being called Joy by the outside world. Joy felt a slight pang in her heart every time she recalled the times she was called by that name. She shook her head and stared at where Sungjae used to be standing. 

_'It's not wise to have him this close to my heart,'_ she thought, _'because I'm falling deeper in love with him instead of having him fall in love with me.'_

"Hey, Joy!" Seulgi tackled her from behind. Joy took a step forward to balance them. She looked at Seulgi before grinning at her. She shook her friend away before facing her.

"You have a lot of questions, don't you?" Joy snickered. "I'll answer them later. A teacher might see us." 

Hyuk raised an eyebrow when Sungjae appeared to be immersed in his thoughts. Sure, Sungjae was always thinking rather deeply but usually, he didn't when a teacher with in front of the classroom. Something big might've happened to him and Hyuk guessed, it concerned Joy. When their teacher exited the room, Hyuk immediately called for Sungjae's attention. He failed a couple of times but when he succeeded, he glared at Sungjae.

"What?" Sungjae asked. "Sorry, I was thinking about something." 

"Maybe the right word is someone," Hyuk corrected him. "Am I right?"

"Well, it's a theory about her so it's a something," Sungjae chuckled. "Have you seen Joy cry before?"

"Of course," Hyuk scoffed. "I've known her since middle school. She's a big crybaby. It's a handful to comfort her. She's easy to cheer up though."

"What does she cry about?" Sungjae asked. 

"A lot of things, once I think about it," Hyuk looked up," since she cries a lot. But recently, she hasn't been crying so I'm quite shocked."

"Maybe her life turned out for the better?" Sungjae said before shrugging. So that's how it was. Joy was a crybaby but recently, her tears stopped in front of her friends. She revealed her tears in front of Sungjae the previous night. Sungjae felt special. He was able to see Joy's vulnerable side. Surely, this was different compared to the tears she showed in front of other people. Sungjae thought he saw Sooyoung, and not Joy. 

"Hopefully," Hyuk whistled. "Heard her life was a tragedy. But be careful, okay, Sungjae? You don't want to get caught by the web she weaved herself."

"So that's how it was. Didn't your father scold you?" Wendy asked. "You know how uptight your dad is, Joy."

Joy shook her head with a small smile on her face. 

_"_ He didn't," Joy answered. She felt fluffy inside. Though it was embarrassing for her to show Sungjae that side, she felt relieved to release everything. She wanted Sungjae to fall in love with her; it came with a price. She needed to show her everything to him. But as she showed her different sides, she was only falling for how Sungjae reacted to them. Joy felt like Sungjae was dangerously close to her heart. If he left, if he didn't fall for her, she knew it'll only destroy her. 

"So he hugged you, under the moonlight?" Wendy tried to confirm it. She wasn't sure if she should believe her best friend. Though Joy was great with boys and her charisma wasn't questionable, she's a stuttering mess in front of any guy she liked. Sungjae wasn't an exception. And the scene seemed like it was pulled out of a movie. It was impossible to happen in real life. 

"Not exactly," Joy bit her lower lip," but it would've happened if the guard didn't chase us out. It's not like it was romantic or anything, though. Sungjae doesn't like me the way I like him. We're in two different worlds."

Wendy pouted before crossing her arms.

"Maybe it's about time those two worlds clashed, right? After all your work, you should make your dreams happen, girl. Sungjae's right there. Take him and make him yours."

Lunch arrived and Joy felt hella nervous. Like hella. She felt like she'll be meeting an idol she's infatuated with. Her heart wanted to jump out of her chest. She tapped on her desk restlessly and would bump her head against it. She needed to shake off the nervous feeling or Sungjae would catch her that way. She needed to chill and be like the Joy in the morning. But she was trembling, shivering, she might even shake off her chair any minute. 

"Hey, Park Sooyoung," Sungjae's voice called out to her. Joy's eyes stayed glued at the desk. She didn't want to look at him just yet. Her heart was thumping and didn't want to calm down. She might do something stupid in front of Sungjae. She didn't want that. She already cried in his chest the previous night. Ugh! She didn't even want to remember. Her face was slowly growing red as she recollected it. 

"Hey! Do you plan on ignoring me?" Sungjae called once more. Joy's head slowly turned to him as if she was a robot. She forced a smile before digging her face into her desk. Sungjae couldn't avoid chuckling at the cute reaction. He knew Joy was adorable, but he didn't expect she would overflow with that charm. She should teach him sometimes. Sungjae knew it would be hopeless if he would only stand there. Joy's classmates already told him he could come in. He inhaled before finally stepping into the classroom.

Joy could hear the whistles and cheers from her classmates. She knew Sungjae was steps away from her. The more she couldn't control her heartbeat. She felt someone beside her and she knew it was game over. Sungjae pulled her hair away and Joy soon found herself looking into Sungjae's eyes.

"I thought we had an agreement? Chickening out?" Sungjae teased. Joy shook her head before removing Sungjae's hands from her hair.

"I don't chicken out, never," Joy said. "I was just..."

"Enough with excuses," Sungjae chuckled. "Let's go?"

"Let's." 


	12. Eleventh Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> heathers but make it kind of pg

"So," Sungjae started as they walked towards their usual spot, "do you feel better?"

"Didn't I answer that question this morning?" Joy puffed her cheeks before crossing her arms. "I'm fine."

"I'm going to take your word for it," Sungjae looked up to the sky. "Since I'm not sure if you're lying or not. I trust that you aren't."

"What could I benefit from lying to you? If I plan on making you fall in love with me, I should show who I really am," Joy suddenly stopped walking when she realized what she said. Sungjae looked back at her when he noticed she quieted down. Her face was super red, like a ripe tomato, and she looked shy. Sungjae could only chuckle as a response. 

"You're really funny, Joy," Sungjae said, gesturing her to come forward and she did. "Saying bold things then cowering away. You are such a unique character."

"It seems like you only plan on playing with me," Joy frowned. "Well, not really complaining with that though. As long as I'm with you."

Sungjae rolled her eyes before ruffling her hair. It seemed like Sungjae wanted to say something but he chose not to. 

_'You should put a little bit of confidence in yourself. You shouldn't let anyone take advantage of you. Aish, idiotic Joy,'_ Sungjae thought. He thought that Joy had a lot of potential in her but she was such a martyr. She didn't know how to protect herself or who to trust. Sungjae thought of Wendy and Seulgi but he was sure Joy never wanted them to worry about her. 

"What do you even like about me?" Sungjae asked," I'm not that great of a guy. Jungkook would be a better choice, in my opinion. Heck, even Taehyung's a better guy than me. I've tried all my life in this school to be invisible and to think, someone as flashy as you noticed me."

"Am I flashy?" Joy raised an eyebrow," Am I really flashy? I never really thought I was. I tried blending into the crowd, to be honest. You know, I want to avoid those judging stares. But I guess," Joy looked down," it's too late."

"Too late?" Sungjae looked up. "It's never too late. Aside from that, why would you care about what they say? What's important is the fact that you still have friends despite how judged you are. I envy you sometimes."

"What's there to envy?" Joy chuckled," I'm messed up. My social anxiety consumes me. My family prefers my sister. I'm hopelessly in love with you. What's there to envy?"

"Don't say hopelessly in love, geez," Sungjae laughed. When he pointed that out though, Joy's face turned red. She shook her head, telling him to forget that bit. But he told her that that would be impossible to forget and thanked her for the confidence boost.

"So what's there to envy, Sungjae? Don't leave me hanging," Joy repeated her question. Sungjae stared at her for a second and smiled. The young lady couldn't stop her heart racing because of his gaze. She wanted to ask why he was staring but every time she opened her mouth, no words would come out. She felt too embarrassed. And her chest ached, maybe because she was too in love Sungjae already. 

"Your..." Sungjae's voice trailed off. When he realized he was staring, he shook his head before flashing another one of his heart-melting, well for Joy, smiles. "I envy how strong you are, Joy. Or is it Sooyoung?" 

Joy shot a glare at Sungjae before pouting. 

"Why do you keep calling me Sooyoung, huh? You're the only one who calls me that here. Even Wendy doesn't call me that."

"Why? Sooyoung's a pretty name," Sungjae smiled at her before muttering to himself," for a pretty girl."

"Huh?" Joy tilted her head to the right," Did you say something, Sungjae?"

"No, nothing," Sungjae shook his head. "So, do you have any questions about me? Since you opened up to me last night, it's only fair for me to share something about myself too."

When Sungjae mentioned _last night,_ Joy didn't know how to react. But when she let him finish what he was saying, she sighed in relief. She wasn't sure what to ask about him though. Sungjae was surrounded with mystery. Since he tried his all to be invisible, only a few people knew about his personal life. Unknown to Joy though, Sungjae thought the same thing about her. Joy was surrounded with mystery even though she was one of the more popular students in their batch. 

"Why do you want to be invisible though? Most of our generation beg to be seen," Joy asked," even I want a little attention."

"I'm used to being this figure you'd just pass by. Ever since I was young, I try to be kind to everyone so anyone could easily approach me. I try to give off that easy to approach vibe. If, per say, I'd want that attention others seek, that wouldn't really be easy since people would think of my reputation first of all," Sungjae continued," and it'll be troublesome to keep up an image. That's how you keep up the attention right? You have this own persona who's really a stranger to you."

"That's not entirely the case though, Sungjae," Joy defended herself," Both Joy and Sooyoung are parts of me. Both of them make me who I am. I did not create Joy out of the want for attention. Actually, attention's a little pricey."

"You created Joy out of your own protection. Because, you think, she'll protect you from the blades of reality," Sungjae stated, without thinking about it. Joy looked down before shaking her head. 

"I think I've finally found where you're wrong about me, Sungjae," she said before lifting her eyes to meet his," I created her to protect the people I care about from reality. I don't have a care what might happen to me. I might die tomorrow and I would gladly accept it. But my friends? I'd die protecting them. I'm sure of it." 

"Look at that pest. Everyone already knows she likes Sungjae a little too much, she's already rubbing it in."

Seulgi turned her head to see a few of her batchmates talking about Joy. They were all on the 3rd floor of their school, looking down at where Sungjae and Joy were eating their lunch. Seulgi raised an eyebrow before returning her gaze to her friend. She knew Joy was a subject to psychological bullying in their school but Joy always smiled at her so she assumed those students never pestered her again. She guessed she was wrong. They were doing it secretly. They were basically stabbing Joy's back. Maybe Joy knew or she didn't. Seulgi might never know. She lingered in her place for a little longer, pretending to study for an upcoming test.

"And she knows Chorong likes Sungjae too! She's just showing off," one of them clicked her tongue. Seulgi knew that voice anywhere. She used to be part of Seulgi and Joy's clique but she distanced herself during their sophomore year. Seulgi never understood why and Joy always avoided talking about her. 

"Taeyeon, aren't you a little harsh on her?" Another one of the trio, Krystal Jung, asked," Joy's a kind girl, you know."

"You don't know her like I do, Krystal," Kim Taeyeon rolled her eyes," she makes me barf. I'd rather have Chorong be with Sungjae. They look better together than that skank, Joy."

"Taeyeon's correct, Krystal," the first person Seulgi heard, Son Naeun, said, resting her back against a post," There's a side to Joy you have no clue about. Maybe because you never talked to her personally."

"I did, a couple of times actually. We worked with each other because of schoolwork, and she's actually a very kind person," Krystal defended herself but Taeyeon shot her a glare. Taeyeon puckered her lips before biting the lower lip. 

"If you never let yourself near the devil, you'll never understand our point of view. After all, you'll only recoil in fear of being burnt only after you touch the hot kettle," Taeyeon said before sparing another glance at the pair. "You'll get your just desserts, Park Sooyoung. You never knew how much pain you put me through after our freshman year."

Seulgi chuckled to herself in amusement. Who knew her best friend's life will be compared to K-dramas? She knew it wasn't wise to act on impulse at that moment. Joy hated it when people dwell in her matters. Seulgi will help if Joy asked her to. And she will never tell her what she heard. It was for the better. Or else, she'll do her dark addiction again.

And Seulgi never wanted that. 


	13. Twelfth Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> stop pretending

"Protect them? What do you mean, Joy?" Sungjae asked. He knew she might cower away from answering his question. But he was truly curious. Joy never looked like a target of bullying, or anything harmful. Her family's not that rich or powerful to be targeted by the masses. If anything, people were warm to her because that was how she was to other people. He knew he shouldn't judge a book by its cover but there was no flaw with her acting. 

Joy clicked her tongue before looking at him. She showed him a smile and gestured him to come closer. 

"I managed to weave a complicated web around my high school life, Sungjae," she explained. "And I regret doing so, actually. I hurt a lot of people accidentally. And I don't like the feeling. Not at all. I'm not sure how I'll manage this pain, and this pressure of not hurting others. I think I improved, considering the people around me now. But when I was in middle school until my freshman year in high school, you should've seen how rotten I could get."

"That's not important," Sungjae pouted. Joy blinked a few times. She didn't expect Sungjae pouting. "That's the past right? It's done. You can't be afraid of what has passed. It won't harm you. You'll only stop yourself from enjoying life to the fullest if you're scared of hurting someone. Whatever you do, you'll get someone hurt. That's part of life. But it's our choice if we let it control us or not."

Joy forced a smile for him and slowly backed away. She knew Sungjae was right but the past haunted her like a ghost. She regretted everything she did. It was evident to how she acted before. But those actions were done under some kind of pressure. She wasn't plastic. She was frank. But it all backfired. She had no choice but to pretend then. Screw what the others say. One can't survive in that world without pretending. 

"It's my choice..." Joy breathed in. "To let it control me then. As long as no one else gets hurt."

"No one else?" Sungjae raised an eyebrow. "What about you?"

"I'm alright by myself. I can handle this pain somehow. And no one worries about me this way," Joy raised her shoulders. "Since no one knows, well you, but no one else."

"I do."

"You what?" Joy asked. 

"I care. I worry," Sungjae's lips formed a thin line. "I think about you, you don't know. You're my friend, after all. A precious one who I meet everyday, who puts up a facade everyday."

Joy's face burned up and her hands were scattered all over the air in front of her. She panicked with the sudden confession. She was not prepared for Sungjae's words. Sure, they were shallow but they were too much for poor Joy's heart. She was really weak when it was about Sungjae. 

"Come on! Stop that!" Joy finally stopped and stared at him with her cheeks still burning. "You shouldn't say things like that! You should take responsible for this! For this aching chest of mine!" 

Sungjae could only laugh. He knew it would've ended like that. She would like to avoid the topic when it comes to a certain point. And that was it. Sungjae knew he shouldn't pry into her private life even more. It was as hectic and dramatic as the ones he saw on TV. 

"Anyways, let's go? We don't want to be late to our classes, you know," Sungjae stood up. 

"Ah yes," Joy nodded. She was going to use her hands to push her up but she noticed Sungjae reaching out his hand for her. She looked up. "What is this?"

"It's my hand," Sungjae bluntly answered. Joy shook her head. 

"No, that's not what I mean!" Joy's face turned red once again. "I mean, like what are you trying to do?"

"I want to help you up. Hurry. I don't have all day," Sungjae told her. Joy raised one hand of hers but she hesitated on holding his. Sungjae sighed before taking her hand in his and pulling her towards him, resulting to Joy bumping into his chest. 

"What's with that?" Joy growled. "That hurt."

"And so?" Sungjae said as he looked down on her. "You're standing now and that's what's important. As long as you're up and running, even if you get hurt, at least you're standing up."

"Don't lecture me," Joy looked away. She noticed the distance between them but she tried to suppress her heartbeat. She was so close to him but she knew he was so far from her reach. Their hands were intertwined but it didn't mean she had a hold on his heart. But she didn't want to think negatively about it. She knew it from the start that Sungjae would never end up liking her back but she wanted to hold on, in case she was wrong and she wanted to be wrong for once. She had until their graduation to make Sungjae fall for her. She hoped a few months was enough time to make him fall. 

Sungjae turned his head away and tugged on Joy's hand. 

"Let's... Let's go," Sungjae whispered. Joy nodded. She looked down since she felt embarrassed. She wondered how Sungjae felt while he was holding her hand. Did he notice they were still holding hands? 

"Umm..." 

"Huh? Oh! Ah yeah," Sungjae slowly loosened his grip on her hand. "I'm sorry. I hope you weren't that uncomfortable."

"You're wrong..." Joy hummed for a bit. "I felt as if my hand's a perfect fit for yours."

"You're really straightforward, aren't you?" Sungjae chuckled. 

"I'll take that as a compliment then."

As soon as Sungjae entered the classroom, Chorong immediately approached him. She had a notebook in her hand and asked him to teach her Trigonometry and English. She was a rather weak learner when it came to concepts. She was great at giving explanations but when it came to understanding the concepts, she was at a disadvantage. She was one of the better speakers in her class. Even though Joy never was classmates with Chorong, she acknowledged how greater Chorong was at explaining things. Chorong used to be a student teacher, along with Joy months back and Joy watched a few of her lessons to say she was great at it. 

A reason why Joy was insecure around Chorong. 

"Sure. When do you want me to teach you? I can't right now because---"

"It's fine!" Chorong cut him off. "I know since lunch is over. How about later then? And lunch tomorrow? I don't want to fail in our exams after all!"

"You know Joshua's a better choice for both of those subjects compared to me," Sungjae said. 

"He's a difficult person to deal with. Don't tell him that," Chorong lowered her voice. "I'd rather have you, Sungjae, and aside from that, you're really nice!"

"Alright," Sungjae chuckled. "I will. But... Oh right, I have an appointment during lunch."

"Is it about Joy? She'll understand if you explain to her!" Chorong pleaded. "Please, I need your help to pass."

Sungjae sighed before smiling. 

"Alright then. I'll talk to her first thing tomorrow."


	14. Thirteenth Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> third parties oops

_"I have to teach Chorong about the lessons she's having trouble with so I can't meet with you that often for now. I thought you would understand if I tell you first thing in the morning."_

_"I... I do... Uhh, good luck with teaching her then. I hope she absorbs all of the knowledge you give her."_

Joy cursed herself for agreeing too easily. She knew she couldn't say no but she could've at least argued with him. Why can't Chorong be tutored by other students? Or why did it have to be during lunch? Isn't she free during dismissal? Joy clicked her tongue as she glared at the whiteboard. Her friends who were seated near her were all confused since she went into the classroom. She didn't talk to her friends as much as she always did. She silently procrastinated the assignments she didn't usually do alone. 

Now, that was rare.

Since Joy usually copies from her friends or asks help from them about the assignment.

They all knew something was up with Sungjae since he was the last person she was with. And also the first person she was with during the morning of that day was him. Yeri nudged Seulgi and gave her a look. Irene, on the other hand, was passing a note to Joy. She expected her to answer, because she usually answers but Joy only crumpled the piece of paper and threw it into her bag. Irene scowled at Joy before putting her attention back to whatever she was writing on her desk. 

Joy didn't even participate in their recitation during English. She would usually burst into excitement and anticipation but she was as gloomy as she could ever be. Maybe even gloomier. Once their recess started, Seulgi slammed a book against Joy's desk, making her shoulders jump in shock. She blinked a few times, staring at the book before looking up to Seulgi. Soon after that, Yeri and Irene approached her with worried faces. Well, Irene looked more pissed than worried. 

"What's with that? You ignored me," Irene sulked. Yeri shook her head with a smile.

"That's the least of Joy's problems," Yeri turned to Joy," so now, who's the most of your problems?"

"Let me guess," Seulgi paused for a second and pretended to think," Sungjae?"

"Shut up," Joy glared at her," This is just a silly reason to sulk. Seriously, I am just useless and--" 

Joy sighed before shaking her head. 

"Stupid reasons really," Joy tried reassuring her friends. 

"We know you're stupid, Joy. We've accepted that since we became friends with you," Irene sharply said before smiling," so whatever reason it is, we want to know. We hate it when our happy virus isn't as happy as she usually is after all."

"Wow, you're worrying about me. That is disgusting," Joy joked before laughing. "I'm fine. Really. I just need to get over childish worries."

"Childish? Why won't you just tell us," Seulgi pouted. "So it's really about Sungjae?"

Joy slowly nodded, before telling them about Sungjae tutoring Chorong. She also added that it was silly of her to be jealous since Sungjae didn't have any motive for teaching Chorong but to let her learn from him. Irene told her frankly about the rumour going around that Chorong liked Sungjae. Joy could only shrug. 

"As long as Sungjae doesn't like her in any way, I'm good," Joy took a breath in. "If ever Chorong does like him, well, it doesn't mean they'll date."

"Do you get it now, Chorong?" Sungjae asked before he looked at Chorong. She avoided eye-contact with Sungjae and nodded absentmindedly. Sungjae sighed before closing his notebook.

"This'll be useless if you don't learn anything from me. If you want, I'll ask Joshua for you," Sungjae told her. Chorong held Sungjae's thigh and shook her head.

"I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to be distracted..." Chorong apologized. "I'll be serious. I promise."

"You promise?" Sungjae raised an eyebrow. "What's getting you so distracted anyway?"

"Nothing," Chorong shook her head before smiling at him," I swear. It's nothing."

"Oh?" He chuckled. "You remind me of someone."

"Who?" Chorong asked. Sungjae shook his head with a teasing smile on his face. He raised a finger to his lips, obviously gesturing it was a secret of his. Chorong sighed. She had a guess but she didn't want to confirm it. She felt jealous. If Sungjae was really thinking of Joy at that moment, what can she do? Chorong thought she had the advantage because she was classmates with Sungjae but Joy was cunning enough to snatch Sungjae from her. This was Chorong's only way to get Sungjae back to her. She was desperate to have Sungjae to herself. 

"Anyways," Sungjae pointed at the text on the notebook," I'm really weak in English, oh god, I need help in this."

"It's alright. At least you pass," Chorong frowned," The grammar is too confusing for me."

"Right! What were the English thinking?" Sungjae sighed. "Anyways, this 'who' is used as the subject, substituting the noun. It makes the statement into a question." Sungjae continued explaining the matter to Chorong. She couldn't help her heart beating fast. She was really in love with Sungjae. She can't help it. Sungjae looks attractive and is a nice person. He's really gentle and a great person to talk to. He was also quite intelligent. She wondered why only a few girls liked him. And he had no clue he had girls liking him, aside from Joy. 

"Who do you like?" Chorong asked in English. Sungjae nodded. 

"That's how it's used!" Sungjae clapped with a childish grin on his face. 

"No, Sungjae," Chorong shook her head. She repeated the question in Korean. 

"Yook Sungjae, who do you like?"

Joy passed by Sungjae's classroom when lunch break arrived. It was a habit, she guessed. She twitched when she saw Sungjae and Chorong talking to each other. She hated it. She admitted how much she detested the idea of Sungjae spending time with another woman. She wanted Sungjae all to herself. But she had no right to feel that way. She wasn't dating Sungjae. Heck, Sungjae doesn't even like her back. She didn't notice she was already staring at him before Joshua bumped into her. 

"I'm so sorry," Joy bowed. Joshua raised an eyebrow at her before smiling. 

"Joy, right?" Joshua asked. Joy nodded. 

"Joshua?" 

"Correct-o-mundo," Joshua nodded with a smile still on his face. "Ma'am Lee told me to give you back your marker. Could you wait for me here?"

"Ah, sure," Joy smiled back," I almost forgotten about that. Thanks for reminding me."

"No need to thank me. When I bumped into you, that's when I suddenly remembered," Joshua chuckled. "Just a minute, Joy."

Joshua roamed his eyes and noticed Sungjae staring at them. Joshua smirked to himself. Seems like someone's envious of him. Joshua quickly went to his bag and opened it up. He shuffled through his things and finally found the marker he was trying to find. Joshua first called Sungjae and smiled at him teasingly. 

"Do you want to return this to her instead of me?" Joshua asked. Sungjae frowned before shaking his head. 

"You see I'm tutoring Chorong here," he told his friend. Joshua shrugged before skipping towards the door. Joy smiled when she finally took hold of her marker. 

"Ah, Joy," Joshua called to her once again. Joy raised an eyebrow. 

"What is it, Joshua?" Joy asked. Joshua shrugged before stepping nearer to her. 

"Want to eat lunch with me now instead of Sungjae?" 


	15. Fourteenth Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> is sungjae jealous???

"So what made you want to eat lunch with Joy?" 

Seulgi looked like she was about to growl at Joshua. The boy only showed a bright grin before giving himself a bite out of the sandwich he bought in the canteen. Honestly, the three girls were shocked when they saw Joshua and Joy conversing. It was obvious that Joy wasn't comfortable though. Knowing her, Joshua asked if he could join her for lunch and she couldn't say no to Sungjae's friend. 

"That's rather rude, Seulgi," Joshua said, pretending to be hurt," After everything we went through in our freshman year?" 

"What? What did we go through?" Seulgi raised an eyebrow before shaking her head. "If you have any unpleasant plans with Joy, I advise you to just stay away."

"Do you really think I'm that kind of person, Seulgi? I am offended," Joshua sarcastically said before laughing," You're overprotective when it comes to Joy."

"Because she's an idiot," Irene bluntly said, earning a smack from Joy. "Ow, it's true though. Who would fall for someone like Yook Sungjae anyway?"

"A lot of girls, you know," Joshua muttered," But they're irrelevant. I'm cheering you on, Joy. I approve of you!"

"I don't need your approval," Joy mumbled while she was pouting," It's not important if he doesn't approve."

"Also, I was hoping it would be just the two of us," Joshua sighed. "At least I have a harem of my own."

"You wish," Irene scoffed before she pulled Yeri's arm towards her," Let's go elsewhere. I don't want to eat here. I'm losing my appetite."

"But, Irene," Yeri wanted to stop her but Irene suddenly winked at her. Was she planning something? Yeri glanced at Seulgi and saw a smirk on her face. Joy, on the other hand, wasn't looking at them at all. She was just talking while eating. She felt awkward being with Joshua like that after all. Aside from that, Joshua's knees were touching hers and that was too close for her. Yeri then looked at Joshua and saw him wink at Seulgi. 

"Sheesh, alright," Yeri sighed," Sorry, Joy. Irene's stubborn, you see." 

After the pair left, the student council suddenly called for Seulgi. She apologized countless of times to Joy before threatening Joshua. And that was the time that Joy was afraid to come. She raised her head and met eyes-to-eyes with Joshua.

"I'm sure you want to return to your classroom," Joy mumbled. Joshua raised his eyebrows before chuckling. 

"I asked you to lunch because I wanted to be alone with you, Joy," Joshua confessed," I want to know you more. I mean, we were never classmates, right?"

"Are you okay, Sungjae?" Chorong asked. Sungjae blinked a few times before slowly nodding. 

"Yeah? Do I look not okay, Chorong?" He asked. She stared at his face for a few more minutes before shrugging. 

"For me, you don't look okay. Something bothering you? You want to stop for now? I think I'm stressing you out," she offered. He shook his head before looking again at the formulas on the notebook. 

"No, Chorong, this is nothing. You're not a bother," Sungjae told her. Chorong stared at him a bit more, not believing a word he was telling her. But she had no choice, right? Sungjae will never tell her if something was bothering him. 

"Uh, Chorong," Sungjae inhaled," I have a question."

"Huh? That's new," she looked surprised," You don't usually ask me anything, except if it concerned PE."

"Well," Sungjae bit his lower lip, doubting himself if he should ask her. 

"Shoot me the question," Chorong told him," Is it personal?"

"Not really," Sungjae scratched the back of his head. He shook his head before smiling at her. "Nevermind. It's nothing, really. I thought of a solution."

"A solution?" Chorong tilted her head. Sungjae only smiled at her and showed her the notebook. He didn't answer any of the personal questions Chorong asked her. He only continued teaching her and preparing her for the tests. He was sure he could finish this before the bell rings. If he did finish it, he didn't have to review Chorong during the dismissal and that's when he'll face this weird feeling he had been having for a few minutes already. 

"A solution to a minor problem. I just needed the right formula for it and it just became simple."

"It's nice talking to you, Joy," Joshua smiled at her. Joy slowly nodded, still feeling conscious. 

"I didn't expect we'll be, you know, knowing each other like this," Joy whispered to herself," but you never told me the reason why you asked me to lunch."

"Well, wanting to know you more is an enough reason, right?" Joshua said without second thoughts. Joy became flustered before she shook her head. 

"I also thought you looked kind of lonely without Sungjae. I know I can't replace him but at least you have better company. I admit I'm more charismatic than that guy," Joshua boasted. Joy could only laugh. 

"I admit I got to talk to you more than I ever talked to Sungjae though. You're easy to talk to," she told him. Joshua patted her back and grinned at her. 

"Thanks," Joshua noticed he was nearing his classroom," Let's do this again, Joy?"

Joy nodded at him with a smile on her face. 

"Sure. I'd love to."

"Hey, Josh," Sungjae faced Joshua when he sat on his seat," What were you doing with Joy?"

"Does it really concern you, Sungjae?" Joshua had a playful smile on his face. "I mean, you were having some sweet time with Chorong."

"I was tutoring her," Sungjae cleared that out," Are you really teasing me now?"

"I always tease you, you know," Joshua snickered," Perhaps, were you jealous?"

"Jealous?"

"You know! Jealous!" Joshua clapped his hands. "I mean, I was alone with Joy. I asked her out."

"I wasn't," Sungjae insisted," Why would I be?"

"Because you like her?" 

"Shut up," Sungjae rolled his eyes," I don't like Joy more than a friend. We're just friends."

"Then you'll be fine if I steal her away?" Joshua asked," Or if any other guy does?" 

"Yeah," Sungjae answered with no second thoughts," But she did say she likes me, so I don't know how you'll make her fall. I did nothing and she fell for me."

"You're really pathetic, aren't you, Yook Sungjae?" Joshua whispered to himself, without Sungjae hearing it," God help Joy with this boy."

When dismissal arrived, Joy immediately raced towards Wendy's classroom. She didn't hate Joshua's company but it felt unnatural for him to approach her. They've known each other since middle school. Why didn't he approach her back then? They're going to graduate high school soon, so why now? She knew Wendy could never answer her questions but she thought if she was with Wendy, Joshua wouldn't approach them. She hoped Joshua wouldn't talk to Jongdae just to take Wendy away from her. 

"Well, you're early," Wendy commented when she finally went to her room's door," Did something happen? I saw you with that Joshua guy."

"Yeah, he was with me," Joy twitched," It was weird. I knew him because of our mutual friends but we never really talked before."

"It is weird," Wendy looked up," Maybe he has some kind of motive, since you know, you like a close friend of his. He's putting you to the test or something. I wouldn't know. I never knew him personally. Actually, I think we never talked before so I wouldn't know. Why don't you ask Sungjae?"

"I can't! I can't even casually start a conversation..." Joy's voice drifted off before she looked at Wendy again," He might not even care since he was with Chorong that time."

"Because of your silly doubts, you will not be the victor of your love story!" Wendy almost shouted. Joy slightly panicked, looking around to see if anyone heard her. Lucky for her, no one even cared about their little conversation. 

"Wendy, you do know it's difficult for me. You understand me the best," Joy held her best friend's hands," I guess I'll just ask him if we get the chance to talk again. I'm sure he's busy with Chorong for now."

"I'll seriously beat up that Yook Sungjae if he continues to lead you on," Wendy made a fist. Joy laughed. 

"He's not leading me on. I'm the one who continues to hope for something to change," she told her. 

"Park Sooyoung!" A familiar voice called out. Joy froze on her spot while Wendy looked at who was calling her. She snickered before forcing Joy to look at the direction where the voice was coming from. Joy couldn't force herself to look up. She felt nervous. Her heart was beating so fast. Why now? Why when their topic changed to him? She felt two hands holding her cheeks and making her look up. 

"Yook Sungjae," were the only words she could say at that moment. 


	16. Fifteenth Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> baby boy's first time with jealousy uwu

Joy was as nervous as the time she first talked to Sungjae. She didn't expect him to approach her. She expected him to be in his classroom, tutoring Chorong. Sungjae was holding her wrist rather tightly, as if he was afraid she might run. Which she would if he let her go. She stared at the outline of Sungjae's back. It wasn't that manly, usually, but at that moment, it looked so wide, as if it was a shield against all bad things Joy had in her world. 

Joy wanted to ask why Sungjae suddenly abducted her from Wendy. But she was afraid of what the reason was. Was he there to cut her off? Was he there to tell her that he was too busy to mind her? She was afraid. As they approached their school's library, his grip slowly loosened. When Joy realized they were all alone at that part of the school, Sungjae turned to her. 

"Err..." The seriousness Sungjae showed at first disappeared when he showed an awkward smile. He scratched the nape of his neck before looking at Joy," I'm sorry for suddenly dragging you like this."

"It's alright...uhh," Joy bit her lower lip. She still felt nervous. She lightly touched the wrist Sungjae was holding on," It's a pleasure to be dragged like this by the person you like. It's like a drama or something."

"Yeah, you're right," Sungjae laughed," Anyways, I have a question."

"A question?" Joy raised an eyebrow," You know I'm useless when it comes to schoolwork, Sungjae. And you could've asked me in front of Wendy."

"No, it's not related to school, well, a little," Sungjae didn't know how to explain himself," It's related to school in a way, about social life in school... err..."

Joy tilted her head. Sungjae usually didn't have trouble with his words. He could easily talk about anything he wanted. That's what Joy observed. But on the other hand, Sungjae knew he was useless with feelings of the people around him. He was dense. He didn't have much experience when it came to girls. Sure, girls liked him and he usually didn't know that. He surrounded himself with guys so that he would avoid the drama. But Joy wasn't the type to be easily avoided. 

"Then what is it?" Joy asked," I'll try to answer it the best I can."

"I can't read Joshua well," Sungjae told her but he noticed how she flinched," And I was surprised to see you two together."

"He approached me, I had no choice but to entertain him. And Joshua's a nice person, I think," Joy said," So what about it?"

"Did Joshua tell you any strange things?" Sungjae asked.

"Strange?" Joy thought for a moment. Actually, she enjoyed talking to Joshua, though it felt unnatural for him to talk to her. If there was anything strange, it was the conversation itself. But for some reason, she couldn't tell Sungjae about what they talked about or if there was anything strange. It felt like she was supposed to be quiet about that. And without Joshua's permission, she couldn't tell Sungjae about anything.

"So, Joy?" 

"Oh, ah," Joy shook her head," No, there's nothing strange. Actually, he was very kind to me. I was always curious on how he was since I've known him since I was in middle school but we never met as classmates."

"Do you like him then?" Sungjae asked.

"Yeah," Joy answered without any hesitation," He's a nice guy. Not as nice as I hoped to be, but I like how joking and cruel he is at the same time. You wouldn't really understand but I think we're alike in a lot of ways."

"Don't talk to him again," Sungjae looked away as he said that," How shameless, Joy."

"Wha--? Why?" Joy paused a moment before she realized what was happening," Sungjae, are you jealous?"

"Jealous? Get off my case," Sungjae couldn't take looking at her. She might have a teasing smile on her face, just like Joshua did. "Why would I be jealous?"

"Are my plans succeeding? Did I have any progress? I often ask that to myself. Should I give up on Yook Sungjae? He looks like he would never like me the way I like him," Joy confessed," so could you let me have a little happiness knowing you're jealous of Joshua?"

"I don't want you to have any false hopes, Joy," Sungjae inhaled," I am not jealous."

The words seemed a little forced so Joy didn't believe him. Let her have her own little fantasies. Let her think that Sungjae was jealous. So that was Joshua's plan, to make Sungjae jealous, for him to realize a lot of things happening. Maybe everything was a little too fast for Sungjae to handle but Joy wanted to make it faster, she wanted him to fall for her somehow. She had limited time. She only had until graduation to have Sungjae fall for her.

"Then let it be," Joy shrugged before turning her back," If you won't tell me why you don't want me to talk to Joshua, then I won't follow what you said."

"Please," Sungjae pleaded," Okay, I feel a pang in my chest, okay? Like, you're not supposed with him or something."

"That I'm supposed to be with you?" Joy turned her head to him with a teasing smile," So you're jealous."

"Am not!" Sungjae lost his cool for a second," I mean, Joy, you know how I am. I have a bad feeling if you continue this friendship with Joshua."

"If you have a bad feeling then why are you still friends with someone like that?" She laughed," You're contradicting yourself."

"Maybe I am," Sungjae looked down," I don't really care. So, does this mean you'll still talk to him?"

"Yeah," she nodded," Does this affect our relationship that much, Sungjae? Does this stop you from falling for me? You know how naturally close I am with guys, except for you."

"It..." Sungjae couldn't say yes because he knew he wasn't sure of the answer. Yes, it did affect their relationship but for some reason, the second question was a mystery for Sungjae himself. He felt a pang in his chest when he saw Joy smile at Joshua. But he didn't want it to be jealousy. He knew it wasn't jealousy. But how sure was he? He never fell in love before. Everything was new to him. For Sungjae, it was impossible for him to fall in love. And he still believed that. He should believe in that to continue living every day without guilt. 

But Joy knew better. Sungjae was jealous of Joshua and she knew he was at the edge of the cliff, one push away from falling in love with her without him realizing it. 


	17. Sixteenth Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> joy's gonna meet the yooks soon

After Sungjae confronted Joy about her encounter with Joshua, he couldn't stop thinking about her. He wasn't sure why but something bothered him. The fact Joshua approached Joy was strange itself but Joshua had been implying that he liked Joy the way Joy liked Sungjae. Sungjae was just worried about Joy's welfare, nothing more. He saw Joy as a precious friend, well, all of his friends were precious to him. Aside from that, he felt responsible for her. She supposedly surrendered herself to him after all. 

"What's bothering you, oppa?" Sunghee raised her head when she noticed her brother pacing back and forth in the living room. The young lady was doing her homework there, as usual. Sungjae was usually in his room anyway so Sunghee thought it was odd for her brother to be out there and not on the computer. 

"A lot," Sungjae answered," Well, it only concerns a few people but everything's bothering me about them."

"Who?" Sunghee raised an eyebrow. "Is it eonni? That eonni who likes you?"

"You still remember her?" Sungjae sounded surprised. It had been a few weeks since he talked about her after all because everything concerning Joy was smooth sailing before Joshua approached her. 

"How can I forget?" Sunghee laughed," She's like the second girl who confessed to you. And she sounds pretty stubborn about dating you. And I saw her before! She's really pretty, oppa."

"You don't agree to date people just because they look good, Sunghee. I don't go that way. Aside from that," he paused," You and Jaesung are my priorities, not my love life. And I should finish studying before thinking about things like that. I plan to go to university after all."

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy yourself," she shook her head before smiling," So what's the deal with eonni?"

"Joshua's been sticking to her like glue. They were never classmates to begin with. How can they be so close? She hasn't been pestering me to go with her during lunch and I've seen them talking happily whenever both classes have no teacher. I mean, aren't I the person she likes? Shouldn't I be the one she's talking to?" Sungjae complained. 

"Oppa, oppa, isn't that jealousy?"

"Jealousy? Sunghee, not you too," he sighed," Every person I've told about this says that but it's not jealousy. Trust me. I would know."

"Oppa, you wouldn't know," she snickered," I'm sure of it. You're rather dense about this, oppa."

"I am not, Sunghee. And what makes you know better?" 

"I'm a girl, oppa. We mature faster than you boys," she proudly said," Though I don't like anyone, I know the symptoms of jealousy and you got them, oppa."

"I am not jealous of Joshua," Sungjae almost screamed but Sunghee could only laugh.

"Whatever you say, oppa," she rolled her eyes before looking down on her assignment," Whatever you say."

Joy tied her hair back before opening the textbook in front of her. Her sister was seated behind her, facing the wall opposite to the wall Joy was facing. They were both studying for their upcoming exams. Though Joy didn't study that much before, she hated thinking about it, she wanted to work harder. She had Sungjae watching her for once. She wanted to somehow put in some effort. 

"Hey, eonni, I've heard about sunbaenim," her sister suddenly talked.

"Who? Sungjae?" Joy asked. Her sister nodded. 

"You know your classmates know me so I have trusted sources," she said. Joy snickered. 

"So what did you hear, Suhyun?" Joy asked," Any bad things?"

"Not really," Suhyun shrugged," As long as you're studying harder than before, I'm okay with him. But if he hurts you..."

"I know, I know. You're really the best younger sister a girl could have, Suhyun. If only our parents avoided comparing me to you..." Joy's voice slowly faded away. Suhyun turned to the older and hugged her from behind. 

"Don't listen to them about that. I wouldn't be here without you, eonni," Suhyun encouraged her," You taught me everything I know. While our parents were busy, you kept me company. How can I ask for more if I have the best eonni in the world?"

"Yeah," Joy showed a small smile," I've never told Sungjae about you though. I was always vague."

"Well, you could you know. You don't need my permission," Suhyun told Joy," It's better if he knows more than the usual bystander."

"Aigooo," Joy hugged Suhyun back," I'm so sorry I can't love you more than I already do. Something's stopping me."

"It's fine, eonni," Suhyun chuckled," As long as we agree on never leaving each other's side, I'm fine."

Sungjae thought twice about going to Joy's classroom during their dismissal. First of all, because Joshua had been visiting her room as if he was her boyfriend. Second, their last encounter aside from the agreement during lunch was when Joy told Sungjae he was jealous. Lastly, he couldn't make up his own mind. He felt weird whenever he saw Joy. He never felt that feeling before but he always chose to ignore it. It escalated and escalated until he couldn't control it anymore. 

"Hey, Sungjae," Hyuk called out to him before pointing at their room's door," I see a familiar face."

Sungjae turned his head to the door and saw Joy. But she wasn't alone. She had Henry beside her and she was looking up to Joshua with a smile on her face. She seemed to enjoy the two men's company but Sungjae frowned instead of feeling happy for her. He looked at Hyuk before crossing his arms. Hyuk shook his head and didn't try to stop Sungjae from approaching Joy. 

"Oh, Sungjae," Joshua mused," I was just talking to Joy here about you."

"Hi, Sungjae," Joy showed him a smile, somehow different to the smile she showed Joshua. 

"Yo," Henry greeted. He elbowed Joy before winking at Joshua, a signal to provoke Sungjae a little bit more than necessary. 

"Joy, do you want to go eat outside with me later? I know a nice burger place which has cheap prices," Joshua asked. Joy stared at him for a minute before nodding. Her face was just full of innocence. 

"No, she won't," Sungjae frowned before reaching out to Joy's wrist," She's... She's coming with me." 

"With you?" Joshua raised an eyebrow," And where to?" 

Joy bit her lower lip, looking down. She felt nervous. She managed to understand why Joshua asked her out but Sungjae's touch was too much for a young girl's heart. 

"I'm... to..." 

"To our house," a familiar voice said. They all looked behind Joy and Henry, and saw Sunghee there. They were all confused, especially Sungjae. 

"Shocked? I hope so," Sunghee chuckled," Eomma's here to fetch you, oppa. I'm sure she wouldn't mind having eonni join us for dinner." 


	18. Seventeenth Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> meeting the Yooks

"I'm sorry for being a bother," Joy bowed her head when they were in the middle of the road," You could just drop me off here. I live near here."

"No need, Sooyoung," Mrs Yook said, her eyes fixed on the road," I'm glad to cook you dinner. Did you tell your parents already though?"

"I sent a message to my mom earlier," Joy sounded meek in the presence of Mrs Yook. She was so nervous. Aside from that, Mrs Yook was calling her Sooyoung. When Sungjae insisted that his mother call her Joy, Mrs Yook shook her head and told him that there was a reason why Joy's parents named her Sooyoung and that will be her reason to call her by her given name. 

"I'm sorry for bothering you, Joy," Sungjae whispered. Joy showed him an understanding smile before she chuckled. 

"It feels like I'm going to meet your parents because I want to marry you," she said with a dreamy expression on her face. Her face turned red when she realized what she said. "We're too young, god, that was embarrassing. But I'm serious, Sungjae, I'm happy I get to eat dinner in your house. I think I haven't been to your house anyway."

"Don't set your expectations too high. We don't live in a mansion or anything rich kid like," Sungjae told her. 

"I know. Knowing it's where you live is enough," Joy looked away. Sungjae couldn't help smiling. He didn't know why. The hurt he felt in his chest faded away and it was replaced by an immeasurable happiness and contentment. He wasn't sure why. He didn't realize he was already staring at Joy as she looked out the window. He did appreciate Joy's feelings for him. But he suddenly wondered how hurt she was whenever he rejected her affection. He wasn't sure what was so special about him that Joy eventually fell in love with him. They didn't talk much. They didn't even see each other eye-to-eye literally. People say that love is only developed when there's enough interaction between parties but Joy and Sungjae only talked a handful of times before she liked him. 

"Eonni, eonni," Sunghee turned her head to the two people in the backseat," You want to see oppa's yearbook back when he was in elementary and middle school?"

"That will be a pleasure!" Joy nodded with excitement before she realized how she acted," I would like to... uh.. yes."

"No!" Sungjae strongly protested but Sunghee only laughed in response. Sungjae knew he couldn't get his way through his sister. Sunghee loved teasing him whenever it was just the two of them. Sunghee had an image of an angel in her school but whenever she bonded with Sungjae, she somehow turned into a teasing devil. 

"Your sister and you appear to be close, Sungjae," Joy said before she finally turned to Sungjae again.

"Yeah, we are, along with our youngest brother. Have I told you about him? Jaesung?" Sungjae asked. 

"I've heard about him but I'm nervous about meeting him," she answered," I've seen pictures too, and he looks like the chubbier version of you, like a little chubbier."

"I've heard we siblings really look alike so don't shy away from saying it," he smiled at her. Joy zipped her lips before nodding. Her cheeks were tinted pink. She knew, if ever there would be a passing streetlight, Sungjae would notice how nervous she felt, how flustered and how unready she was about everything. Luckily, Sungjae didn't say anything, which meant he didn't notice. She breathed in, the scent of the air freshener entering her system. It calmed her down somehow, though she felt a little dizzy because of motion sickness.

Both of them were oblivious of how the other felt. Actually, Sungjae was even oblivious of his own feelings for the girl beside him. They were inches apart but he felt like they were too close. He had a hard time breathing and he couldn't stop smiling. He didn't understand why. Was this the breakdown of all the stress he had in school? Possibly. It was probable. 

Finally, they reached the Yook residence. At the same time, Jaesung was on his way into the house. Jaesung greeted his siblings and his mother before staring at Joy. He then smiled as if he knew about her and welcomed her into the house. 

"Why does it seem like everyone knows me?" Joy tugged Sungjae's top," I feel like they're reading my mind or something."

"They kind of do," Sungjae scratched the back of his neck," We're really open in this family so..."

"Oh..." Joy paused for a second. Sungjae's family knew her? How? How did Sungjae tell his family about her? Judging by how they looked at her, Sungjae could've only said good things, right? She felt like a large amount of expectations was on her shoulders. She felt a hundred times more nervous than the time she was in the car. 

"Don't worry. I didn't say too much," Sungjae whispered," We have a lot of secrets just between us. It's your life after all, not mine."

"Thanks," Joy looked down, still holding on the edge of Sungjae's top. She looked like a shy kid latching on her father. Sungjae honestly thought she looked cute. That was one of her positive traits after all. She was known as someone who had natural aegyo, a natural charm. She couldn't force it out of her. It would be too obvious. She wasn't that great at faking anything but happiness. Dramatic but true. Sungjae knew what Joy was hiding beneath her mask. 

"Eonni, come with me while eomma's cooking dinner," Sunghee said to annoy Sungjae even more. She wanted to make Sungjae realize his feelings (or develop feelings) for Joy. She looked like a nice girl with a great family background. She looked serious about Sungjae and Sunghee wanted to dig in, even more. Joy had no choice but to nod. She looked at Sungjae pleadingly before she was dragged off by Sunghee upstairs. 

"Aren't you nervous about what noona's going to do?" Jaesung asked as he took off his shoes.

"I am," Sungjae looked serious," But I have no choice but to let her be. She's really stubborn."

"It runs in the family," Jaesung shrugged," You're stubborn too."

"True," Sungjae laughed," I just hope she doesn't bother Joy a little too much. That girl already has a lot on her mind."

"A lot, yeah," Jaesung smiled," You."

"Me?" Sungjae widened his eyes, flustered," Me? No... uh-- err...No! I'm not the only person on her mind."

"Yeah, sure," Jaesung found it amusing, this new side Sungjae had," And King Sejong's not the one who created hangul."

Sunghee told Joy that she was free to sit wherever she wanted and to feel at home but Joy felt like she was in a prison. She wanted to behave properly so that she was approved by Sungjae's family. Sure, the decision to date her was in Sungjae's hands but it wouldn't hurt if his family liked her right? Sunghee sat on her bed and Joy remained standing by the door. Sunghee patted the space beside her and gestured Joy to sit beside her. The older lady took little steps before finally settling herself beside the only female Yook sibling. 

"Eonni, you're really pretty," Sunghee suddenly blurted out loud. Joy's face turned pink before she shook her head. 

"No, you're wrong," Joy continued to shake her head," If there's someone pretty here, it's you."

"And you know the truth!" Sunghee laughed," Just joking. But eonni, you really look pretty and you seem charming. Why settle for oppa? He's the silent type, not really that social."

"I think I see things nobody else sees then," Joy smiled," Maybe like a ghost. I have a special ability to see the best in him. That's what love does after all."

"But that's not all to it huh," Sunghee's shoulders slumped," You know the worst that comes with the best."

"Yeah," Joy looked up, her smile still remaining on her face," I know Sungjae's an awkward guy around girls, not really vocal about his feelings, useless with English and with writing, oblivious of many matters and has a small world, but I guess those make him charming for me. That makes him human, a little bit more attainable for someone like me."

"Someone like you, eonni? I think someone like you is too good to be true for oppa."

"Your oppa's an amazing person, Sunghee, better than I am. He couldn't ignore a broken person. He tries to socialize even though he's awkward. He's a whiz at Math subjects. His smile is that of an angel. He's a gentle person," Joy smiled to herself," I'm already lucky to have him turn my way."

"Omo, eonni," Sunghee covered her mouth," You really sound so sincere. And you look so cute. You're so in love with oppa, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Joy's cheeks were pink but she didn't mind it at that moment. She was in a dream-like trance. "I'd do everything and anything for him, as long as it doesn't stray away from my virtues. Even if I say that, Sungjae seems like the person who respects ladies."

"He should!" Sunghee crossed her arms," Or else, eomma would kill him. That's why I told you to come to my room. He'd surely not show you his room. He'd be too flustered to have a girl in his room."

"True," Joy nodded," But he wasn't flustered when he hugged me."

Joy's eyes widened when she realized what she revealed. Sunghee grinned at her, making Joy feel even more nervous. 

"He hugged you? Omo! I didn't know you were that far in your relationship! And you aren't even dating? I didn't know oppa was such a player!"

"I am not a player!"

Both girls turned their head to the door to find it slammed open by Sungjae. 

"Oppa, why are you eavesdropping?" Sunghee looked offended," Look, eonni, this is the type of person you're crazy about. Are you okay with this?"

"Personally, I'm not," Joy said frankly," This is an intrusion of privacy or something, which is also basically against law."

"What?" Sungjae's expression changed. 

"But I still like him," Joy smiled innocently. Sungjae wondered why Joy's smile seemed to reassure him. Maybe because he was confident about Joy's feelings? That these feelings would never change nor waver? But why was it the opposite when he saw her with Joshua? Why did he feel insecure? Why did he care anyway? 

"Oooh, look, look, oppa's making a weird expression," Sunghee laughed. 

"He does look creepy," Joy nodded. 

"You're awfully getting along too well, Yook Sunghee and Park Sooyoung," Sungjae narrowed his eyes. 

"And you're getting quite comfortable listening into our conversation, oppa," Sunghee retorted back. 

"I have to side with Sunghee on this one, Sungjae. Sorry. I hope this does not lower my chances of dating you," Joy raised her hand. Sunghee ended up laughing. 

"Why do you look so serious?" Sungjae scrunched his eyebrows together. 

"Because I'm serious about dating you," Joy said, without a second thought. 

"Why can't you be embarrassed saying this?" Sungjae asked. Joy scratched the back of her neck with an awkward smile. 

"Because it's the truth, I guess? And I'm getting used to saying this in front of other people too? And your sister's not a stranger after all."


	19. Eighteenth Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> is sungjae falling in love???

Sunghee could only laugh at how pink Sungjae's whole head was. He was completely embarrassed by what Joy said. He was flustered. His chest felt like it was about to explode. He knew Joy was a straightforward person. He knew she was frank but he didn't expect her to be _that_ frank with them. 

"You're so sly," Sungjae whispered to himself, covering his face. "Stop bothering Joy about all these nonsense, Sunghee. About the dating thing, it's only between Joy and me." 

"But eonni doesn't seem to mind about me butting in," Sunghee grinned," If I didn't, there might be no progress." 

"Well, that reminds me," Joy snapped her fingers," Joshua." 

Sungjae's expression changed. Why did she remember Joshua out of all the people she could remember? Why at that moment? He frowned when he heard Joshua's name escape her lips. He didn't know why but it just felt wrong. It was fine when she was telling him about Jong-in, about Jungkook, about Henry, but Joshua? Joshua seemed out of the topic for Sungjae and he didn't know why. Sungjae's still friends with the dude. They're on good terms. Nothing changed between them, well, except for the fact Joshua spent more time with Joy recently. 

Okay, that just made Sungjae's mood even worse. 

"What about him?" Sungjae's tone came off a little too rough which surprised Joy. 

"Why do you sound so angry, Sungjae?" Joy asked," I just said Joshua's name."

"And the fact you were reminded by something of him," he looked like he was sulking," Why not like him instead, Joy?" 

Sunghee knew this was already out of her jurisdiction. She decided to leave her room to the soon-to-be couple and return when things might get a little violent. 

"Are you jealous, Yook Sungjae?" Joy scoffed," I can't like anyone else but you, you know."

"But he'll take care of you better," Sungjae said. "Compared to how I brush you off."

"You can't tell the heart who to love, Sungjae. If you could, I would've given up months ago with this hopeless charades of ours," Joy took a step nearer to Sungjae, her heart beating wildly. "Every hour I spend with you, every minute, every moment, every second, I treasure them all. Sungjae, I don't know who else to love but you. I know this might change in the future. After high school, we'll go our separate ways if you don't come to like me. And I'll find another guy. But the important thing is that I love you now. The present is more important than the future. It'll change the future. And I do hope I can change ours." 

"Why are you so straightforward about this? Aren't you getting embarrassed?" Sungjae held the nape of his neck.

"I am embarrassed," Joy puffed her cheeks," but my passion to say all these, god, that took over. I just want to let you know. I want to reassure you I'm here if ever you'll fall for me. I'll catch you."

"What about Joshua?" Sungjae asked.

"What about him?"

"What reminded you of him? Here?"

"Joshua and I had some stories to share to each other, and some are secret. You'll find out when you date me," Joy forced herself to wink though she failed," See? A limited offer? Date me and get Joshua's secrets for free!" 

"You don't seize to amuse me," Sungjae chuckled.

"I'm here to entertain, Yook Sungjae," Joy bowed with an idol-like smile," As long as I send some giddy feelings into your heart, I'm glad." 

"You should value yourself, you know," Sungjae told her. Joy shrugged. 

"I know I should but I can't," she whispered. Sungjae patted her head, awkwardly smiling. 

"But I do." 

"Ooh!" 

Sunghee almost screamed if Jaesung didn't throw a teddy bear at her. Jaesung stared at his sister as if she was insane before lifting a finger to his lips. He gestured for her to shut up. Jaesung couldn't listen to their conversation clearly if Sunghee was noisy. 

"Do you think oppa already likes eonni?" Sunghee asked. Jaesung shrugged. He didn't know about love. He wasn't sure how it felt like. He was only around thirteen so he thought he didn't need it. He wasn't sure what a man in love looked like. Maybe Sunghee knew. She was the smart one after all. Jaesung was the sporty one. 

"He sounds happy though," Jaesung told Sunghee. She snickered before she hugged her brother tightly.

"I wonder if eonni will be oppa's first girlfriend! Oh my, I wonder when he'll realize though," Sunghee said excitedly. 

"He'll realize it a little too late, I think," Jaesung said, stepping nearer to the door," Knowing him, he'll reject the idea of ever liking noona."

"You are correct," Sunghee nodded before sighing," Poor eonni. And there's also Joshua-oppa. Joshua-oppa might steal eonni away from oppa."

"That'll trigger hyung to realize his feelings though," Jaesung pointed out," He'll go crazy with jealousy but I'm not sure. I'm just guessing based on how he's acting."

"So, you have a younger sister, Sooyoung?" 

The Yook family were already dining with Joy. They kept asking her about her family and her studies. Mr Yook looked like he wanted to ask why Joy was there but Mrs Yook shot him a look to stop him before he does ask. They didn't bother asking about Sungjae, except when dessert arrived. 

"Miss Park, is it?" Mr Yook cleared his throat," I understand you like my son."

"Uhm..." Joy's eyes widened with the sudden mention. She slowly nodded. There was no point in lying after they fed her after all. "Yes, I do, sir."

"This looks like eonni is courting oppa," Sunghee pouted.

"That's basically the case," Sungjae shrugged," I think. Well, she did confess and she's not giving up on me."

"You know, Soonyoung, that's not ladylike, to court," Mrs Yook pointed out.

"I admit I'm not ladylike," Joy shrugged with a smile,"But being a lady isn't measured by trivial matters like that, right? Well, that's my opinion. A lady can be a lady if she believes she is one. And if we talk about the traditional way of treating a subject like this, Sungjae's not really a gentleman with leading a lady on."

"You're a good speaker," Mr Yook looked pleased," And Sungjae, I've told you numerous times to never lead a woman on."

"Am not!" Sungjae crossed his arms.

"So basically she really does have hope?" Jaesung snickered," Are you saying that you're not leading her on but actually, she really does have hope in dating you, hyung?"

"Wha..?" Sungjae looked flustered," No... I mean, err..."

"Oppa is blushing! Omo!" Sunghee giggled," Eonni, look!"

When Sunghee turned to Joy, she was redder than Sungjae could ever be. She could only chuckle at how innocent the two looked. When Sungjae's eyes met with Joy's, both of them immediately looked away. Mr and Mrs Yook looked at each other and seemed to understand what was happening in front of them. Did their son, their dense and unfeeling son, finally like someone? They never imagined the day would come that Sungjae would bring a girl home, a girl who likes him, and who looked serious about him. It was obvious he was still oblivious for whatever feelings he had for Joy but it was enough that they saw their son blushing because of embarrassment, because of a girl. 

"I... I think I should go home. Thank you for the meal," Joy bowed her head," My dad might want me home by now and I still have a lot to do."

"I'll be taking her to the nearest bus stop," Sungjae stood up. His family stared at him with silly grins on their faces. Lucky for the poor boy, Joy already turned her head away and went to the door. "Don't have any funny ideas, please. And again, she's only a friend."

"Yeah," Sunghee scoffed," A girlfriend."

"I'm so sorry for the bother, Sungjae," Joy apologized when it was just the two of them," You were embarrassed because of me and I had to open my big mouth."

"Don't worry," Sungjae shook his head," I actually think dad liked you. Actually, I think everyone did."

"Not everyone," she shook her head before looking up to him," You don't like me."

"I do! I do like you!" 

When Sungjae realized what he said, his face grew red. Joy's face did too. She looked away. She knew Sungjae would say that and she knew how he meant but her heart was overacting. She fished that after all. She just wanted to hear those words from him. 

"I'm... uhh..." Joy went ahead of Sungjae to avoid the awkward feeling," I think I can go alone from here. Thank you for today, Sungjae. My deadline is near and I don't know if I'm having any progress. Will you tell me anything about my grade?"

Sungjae stared at her as if he was trying to comprehend what she said. Yes, she's having a lot of progress. Sungjae just chose to ignore everything because he wanted to concentrate on his studies and family. He only smiled at Joy before shrugging. 

_'Maybe you'll get a perfect score by the end of the year.'_


	20. Nineteenth Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a rough patch

Sungjae didn't know what to do. Actually, he knew it but he couldn't put himself to do it. Okay, this was the situation. The next Monday, after Joy ate in his home, she kept on avoiding him. As to say, it was quite obvious. Though Joy already avoided Sungjae in the past because she was too shy, their circumstances at that time was different. Joy could easily talk to Sungjae so why now? Why did she have to avoid him at that moment? How did he know she was avoiding him? First, when Sungjae went to school, he saw her and she saw him. Instead of waving her hand, she turned her head away with a frown. Second, when Sungjae saw Joy in the hallway, he wanted to say hi but she, again, turned her head away with a frown before walking into her classroom. 

So what was up? 

Sungjae didn't understand girls at all. The way they were so sensitive with small matters was confusing for the young lad. He didn't know why Joy was mad. He wasn't sure why he was that worked up about it but he was. Joshua clearly noticed that when Sungjae kept clenching his fists whenever Joy would pass by their classroom without a single glance for him. 

He knew his only chance to ask her was lunch time, their supposed "contract" or "binding spell" or whatever people call it. As the bell rang, Sungjae immediately went out with his lunch and peeped into Joy's classroom. He saw her reading a book by the window, the sun perfectly illuminating her angelic face. Wait... What? Did Sungjae just call a girl angelic? But he shrugged the idea off. When Joy noticed Sungjae's presence near the door, she groaned. Sungjae was sure something was up but what?

Joy looked like she was just forcing herself to go to Sungjae. She was dragging her feet against the floor, obviously troubled that Sungjae was there. Sungjae wanted to ask what was wrong but whenever he opened his mouth, no words would come out. Maybe he was afraid as to what her response would be. He remembered that earlier that morning, she was with Joshua, talking to him a little bit more serious than usual. Sungjae wondered what they talked about. Maybe that was why Joy was in a foul mood. 

"Mind telling me what's wrong?" Sungjae finally asked. 

"Yes, I do mind," Joy looked away, frowning," So I'd rather not tell."

"Why then? Does it concern me?" he raised an eyebrow. 

"Maybe," she shrugged," You should be a tad more sensitive with your words, Yook Sungjae."

"And what did I say that's making you avoid me? I'm not used to being avoided so suddenly," he continued to ask her. Her eyes met his for a second and he could notice the sadness in them. What did Sungjae say that made Joy like this? He was sure Joy would never tell him. She was like that and Sungjae knew her very well already. He might even know her more than she knew him. 

"I'm sorry," Joy sounded guilty, looking down," I'll be going out with Joshua later. We'll be going to a nearby burger joint."

"Why are you telling me this? I'm not your boyfriend," Sungjae sounded like he forced those words out. 

"You should really be a bit more careful with your words, Sungjae," Joy sounded bitter. She stood up, leaving him still sitting on the chair. "I'm going to leave early. I have a quiz in History. I'll see you later."

After Joy left, Sungjae somehow regretted what he just said. He didn't mean to come off a little colder than usual. He didn't want to hurt Joy at all. He looked down at his food. He didn't feel like eating at all. The only person he ate out with was gone, probably going to Joshua. He felt that painful pang in his chest again. He didn't want Joy to be with Joshua. And he knew he couldn't avoid these feelings anymore soon but he needed to. He prioritized his studies over everything. He didn't want a distraction and he thought Joy was going to be one. 

"If only I knew it was going to be this complicated," Sungjae whistled," I should've said no to her offer."

Joy wasn't on her period, if anyone was going to ask. She was just human. She could get tired too. She liked Sungjae. She could even say she loved him. But she did get hurt a couple of times before. All of his indirect rejections pierced into her heart but she pretended it was alright. It was supposed to be alright. She was supposed to be fine with all of that but she wanted to rest. She was growing tired. 

"Are you okay, Joy?" Joshua asked, holding Joy's shoulders," I think you're about to cry."

"I am trying to be," Joy whispered loud enough for Joshua to hear," Can you... Can you keep this a secret from Sungjae? I think I've been such a bother."

"I know Sungjae can be a cruel guy but Joy..."

"Joshua, I appreciate the encouragement but..." She paused for a moment. Joshua pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. 

"I'm sure he'll like you. You're a charming little girl, Joy. Someday, someday, surely," Joshua smiled to himself. Joy thought Joshua smelled nice and felt comfortable in his arms. She clutched the back of Joshua's polo shirt and tried to suppress her tears. 

"I hope so..." She whimpered.

"He will," Joshua reassured her before letting her go. He smiled at her, trying to make her smile as well," I will make all of that possible. It isn't manly of Sungjae to lead you on. Nobody should lead anyone on."

"I am the one at fault," Joy smiled bitterly," He didn't lead me on. I am hoping for nothing."

"It won't be for nothing," Joshua held her hands," I'll make sure you'll be the happiest woman alive."

Joy felt like Joshua's words meant something else but she turned her head away. She didn't want to think that. She noticed Chorong near them and Chorong noticed Joy's glance. Her eyes widened before she ran away. Joy wanted to run after her, so that Sungjae won't misunderstand anything. But she thought that everything would be useless. Sungjae wouldn't care. He already told her to give up on her. Her chest ached when she tried to imagine how Sungjae would react. 

"Joshua... Can you please leave me alone for now?"


	21. Twentieth Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> joy x josh or sungjoy

"Sungjae, I saw Joshua hug Joy. Aren't you going to do anything?"

Chorong asked. Sungjae stared at nothing. She didn't like seeing him that way but ever since he returned to their classroom, Sungjae had been as lifeless as a corpse. Sungjae did flinch when he heard Joy's name but that was the most he did. Chorong was worried. Sure, she preferred that Sungjae would get hurt because of Joy. That would mean she stood a chance to be loved by him. But if Sungjae looked as dead as this, as lifeless as this, she preferred to be hurt. She only wanted Sungjae's happiness and if it meant he would end up with Joy, she would like that more. 

"Yook Sungjae, are you that dense? Can't you see you're getting hurt already because of your own ignorance?" Chorong suddenly raised her voice. "I swear, Yook Sungjae, I was thankful that you were this dense but you're getting hurt already! You see Joshua right? He's having more progress than you! He understands Joy more because he accepts whatever or however he feels for the girl but her heart is already served on a silver platter for you and you just ignore her. What kind of logic do you have?"

Sungjae looked surprise when Chorong shouted at him. Everyone in the classroom did the same. There was an awkward silence looming after she finished her sermon. Chorong realized how loud her voice was before stepping back and covering her mouth. She whispered an apology before smiling at Sungjae. At that exact moment, Joshua entered the classroom. He was confused as to why they were all quiet and staring at him. 

"What... happened here?" Joshua finally asked. Chorong rolled her eyes before approaching Joshua. 

"What are you planning?" she asked," If your plan was to trigger Sungjae, it's working."

"Why would you think that?" he smiled at her innocently," It was my initial plan but actually, Joy draws me in."

"Don't play around with her," Sungjae said when he approached the pair," Joy's too innocent, too pure to be played around by you, my friend."

"You tell me not to play around with her but what are you doing, Yook Sungjae?" Joshua sounded condescending," Joy's hurt because of you. I respect you, Sungjae, I do. It's bros before hoes. But it was my first time to see that facial expression from Joy. She's getting tired, man. She'll give up on you if you don't do anything to solve it."

"What am I supposed to do then?" Sungjae asked him," I'm not supposed to fall in love with her. I'm not supposed to make her hope for anything. I'm in the middle."

"You're not supposed to fall in love but you did, right?" Chorong sounded hurt," It's never wrong to fall in love, Sungjae."

Sungjae wanted to talk to her as soon as dismissal time arrived. He immediately rushed out of the classroom to catch up to her. But before he reached Joy's classroom, Wendy blocked his way. She glared at him as if he was the one who stole her fictional boyfriends away. 

"You're Joy's bestfriend right?" Sungjae asked, not really remembering who Wendy was," Excuse me but I have to--"

"Up, up, lover boy," Wendy crossed her arms," I swear, Yook Sungjae, you may not remember me but I'll be your worst nightmare if I see my bestfriend cry. Actually, you can make her cry as long as you don't lead her on."

"That's why I need to talk to her," Sungjae reasoned. When he saw Joy leave her classroom, he gently pushed Wendy away and ran towards her. When Joy noticed Sungjae, she ran away, out of instinct she guessed. 

"Joy, could you--?" Sungjae panted but Joy continued to run. She wasn't ready to face him just yet and the fact he's chasing her made her scared. "Joy, you know very well that I'm not that athletic!"

"Me too but you don't see me panting!" Joy shouted back," Sungjae, god, could you please leave me alone? I want to think! Aside from that, I was supposed to eat out with Joshua!"

"I'm your priority, right? You like me, right?" Sungjae asked. Joy suddenly stopped running before facing him. She tilted her head to the left. With her pause, Sungjae also stopped running. They had a distance between them but it wasn't too far.

"Why do you doubt that I like you, Sungjae? If I didn't, I would've moved on and went along with Joshua's plans but I do. But I should start thinking that you aren't my priority, Sungjae. I want to take care of myself," Joy breathed in," You shouldn't be a priority. I prioritize people who prioritize me. But I'm just a bother, right? For you, I'm just a parasite."

"You know that isn't true, Joy," Sungjae firmly said," I never said that you were a pest. I genuinely like spending time with you. Your animated gestures, your energetic way of telling me stories, your funny facial expressions, every little part of you is amusing. And I do... It might not be obvious but I do prioritize you, over our other female batchmates. You have a reserved spot in my mind and I'm not sure how to deal with it. I am sorry I'm such a difficult guy to like."

"When I first liked you, I already knew you were a difficult guy to like. You're nice to everyone. You're so dense, so innocent and you aren't interested in a relationship. But the heart wants what it wants and mine wants you. I hate that I can't do anything about it," Joy looked down, clutching her fists. "I want to stop myself from this craziness, because as time passes by, I realize that an 'us' is impossible. I realize that I can't have you though I want you so badly. I want to push you away but you're such a sweet temptation than I can't."

"You have no clue how much progress you're having though," Sungjae suddenly said. When he realized what he said, he covered his mouth. "I mean, Joy..."

"Then tell me how much progress I have," Joy demanded," Tell me now, Yook Sungjae. Do I really have progress? Have I really somehow entered your heart?"

"Joy... I think," Sungjae paused. "I think you're already at its doorstep."


	22. Twenty First Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> joshua's confession to sungjae

"At the... at the doorstep?" Joy stepped back. "R-really?"

"I..." Sungjae shrugged. He wasn't sure about what he said. All he knew was that he didn't want any other guy to come in between them. He didn't want Joshua to steal Joy away. He didn't want any other guy to be the object of Joy's admiration but him. 

"You're still confused huh," Joy shrugged," But I'm good with that. I want to see you confused. I want you to go through the emotions I went through while I started liking you. I want you to suffer like I did. It's not worse than what I've been through, since you know I like you, but at least you'll have a taste of hell."

"What?" Sungjae blinked a few times, trying to understand what she said. "Taste of hell?"

Joy shrugged once again, smiling knowingly. She turned her back on him before waving her hand. 

"I'll be going now," she was snickering," Good luck trying to find out what I said." 

Sungjae watched Joy walk away from him. He was confused. What Joy said was completely true. He wasn't sure if this was love or if this was something temporary. He didn't want to put anything at stake. Aside from that, he told and promised himself again and again that he'll study first before thinking about romance. His phone rang and he saw Joshua's name on the screen. He answered the call, only hearing Joshua's serious tone. 

"Sungjae, I have something to tell you."

"Where are you?" Sungjae asked. "Are you with Joy?"

"I cancelled my plans with her today. I saw you lovebirds chasing each other earlier. Anyways, I'm in the burger place we used to frequent to. I have something important to tell you," Joshua answered," It concerns Joy."

"Okay then, I'll be there."

Joshua looked out of the window of the establishment. He thought long and hard about what he was going to say to Sungjae. Why did he want to tell him this anyway? It'll surely destroy their friendship but he couldn't control his heart. Aside from that, it was better that Sungjae heard this from Joshua and not from anyone else. He felt like his chest was weighing him down. He felt like his head was spinning. But he was determined to tell Sungjae everything, everything he had in his heart for Joy. 

Joshua tapped on the table, still nervous. What was taking Sungjae so long? He looked at the ceiling before looking at the milk shake in front of him. It was almost empty. He breathed in deeply, staring at his lap, before lifting his head when he heard the bells from the entrance. Sungjae was panting. He looked so sweaty. Well, he did chase Joy earlier. And that girl's fight or flight sense always chose flight over fight. 

"Yo," Joshua coolly greeted him," Sit down."

"So what's up?" Sungjae asked after putting his things beside him. Before Joshua could answer, Sungjae looked at him in the eye and said," You like Joy, am I right?"

Joshua's eyes widened. How did he know? Was it obvious? Joshua was flamboyant with every girl he was with. The only thing Joy had above the girls he hangs out with is time. Joshua always made time for Joy. Maybe... Yes, maybe it was that factor. 

"So? I'm correct," Sungjae smiled at him, a playful smile. 

"Why are you smiling?" Joshua asked," Shouldn't you hate me or something? You're developing feelings for this girl."

"Why would I?" Sungjae raised an eyebrow," I mean, sure, this will kinda make you my rival but... I'm glad you're sure of your feelings. Me? I'm not sure actually. You say I'm developing feelings for her, but do you think it'll continue developing until I like her?"

"It usually does, y'know," Joshua pouted slightly before showing a frown," I wonder what she sees in you as a lover."

"Well, at least we're both wondering," Sungjae stretched his arms in the air," But why are you telling me anyway?"

"Because you have dibs on her," Joshua reasoned," And it'll make you more aware of me."

"I already am, don't worry."

"What?" Joshua widened his eyes," You're aware of me?"

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Sungjae avoided Joshua's eyes," I admit, I get jealous because you're so comfortable with Joy and she's the same with you. She talks at ease with you, compared to me."

"Ah!" Joshua laughed," It's like that because she only sees me as a friend. You're her special one so she's extra cautious around her. You don't understand since you never fell in love before but trust me!"

"Sure, I'll trust my love rival," Sungjae whistled," But I do hope she acts natural around me, like before."

"She will, once she reassured she could have your heart," Joshua cringed at what he said," What's happening to me? I sound like a maiden in love!"

"You basically are," Sungjae laughed. Both of them were secretly glad they weren't awkward around each other. Both hoped this girl won't come in between their friendship. Whoever does win, which one thinks is the other, both of them will accept. Joy wasn't a prize, she wasn't an object. There was no actual winning or losing. They can't do anything if Joy decides on something. And for now, Joy favors Sungjae over anyone. 

"So how did you notice?" 

Meanwhile, our heroine was at home. She was on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She was still wearing her uniform. She couldn't forget what Sungjae told her after all. 

" _Joy... I think you're already at the doorstep."_

She couldn't help but smile. She was almost there. She did come off a little cruel to him but she could justify herself. Sungjae has been cruel to her ever since he knew she liked him. It was just fair that she won't explain everything to Sungjae. Let him figure everything by himself. She closed her eyes. She could imagine how Sungjae would realize his feelings for her. Reminds her, she wondered why Joshua cancelled their plans earlier. Joshua has been quite a mystery recently. Well, he had always been a mystery to Joy but this time, it was more intriguing than before. 

"Hmm, maybe it's nothing," she whispered to herself," Maybe I'm just overthinking per usual."


	23. Twenty Second Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> josh is in love

Days went on as they always did. Finals was just right around the corner. A lot of things changed, and that included Sungjae's feelings. He didn't know what to call them. He wasn't sure if it was love. He just didn't like it when Joy was with Joshua. He hated thinking of the possibility of Joy liking another man. Sungjae didn't know it was love. But maybe ignorance was the better choice than realizing it. 

"Sungjae," Joy smiled at him. Her smile seemed to tell him that everything was in place. "It'll only be like," she paused," a month or so before this all ends. I told you I'll be going to a university after this." 

"Yeah," he nodded," I'll study in a public college near here after our graduation."

"What I mean is," Joy bit her lower lip. "We won't see each other anymore. I'll be studying in a university far from here." 

"Your parents let you go to Ehwa?" Sungjae asked," Congratulations." 

Joy nodded. "It took a lot of convincing. I'll go home right after school and I'll leave our house when everyone's asleep, but at least I'll go to my choice of a university." 

"What'll you take?" 

"That's not the topic right now, Sungjae," her voice sounded a little stern," We only have a few weeks, like 3 weeks before we graduate. Give me a clear answer, please."

"I don't want to be unsure when I answer your feelings, Joy," Sungjae told her," I don't want to hurt you."

"Tell me soon, so I can move on sooner," Joy said. She looked down," Whether you give me an answer or not, whether you leave me hanging or reject me, I'll be leaving anyways. But it would be nice if I started moving on sooner, right?" 

"Yeah, maybe," Sungjae looked hesitant," When's your enrollment date?" 

"Soon," Joy shrugged," I already paid the reservation fee for my slot there. My decision is final. I'll study there. It seemed to be an environment where I can grow in, compared to this place." 

"That's a subtle way of saying our environment here is toxic," Sungjae chuckled," All I hope is your growth and maturity as a person, Joy." _'And I'm just a stepping stone for that,'_ he thought. 

"I'll be going now," Joy bowed," I hope you seriously think about dating me, Yook Sungjae." 

And like that, she left. He knew Joy was going to leave that place, as quick as she could. She wanted a new environment. For her, that place was full of weeds. She can't bloom there. People would only suck the life out of her. When she was given the chance to leave, she took it. Without a second thought. Maybe she did think twice. Maybe she was afraid for that big of a change, especially that it costed her good relationships with some of her schoolmates. Sungjae felt like he was just watching Joy run away from him, run forward without him. He watched her disappearing silhouette in the corridor, wondering if what he felt was romantic or platonic. 

"Joshua, thank you," Joy smiled," You're going to transfer to the same school as Sungjae right?"

"Well, the college is cheap after all," Joshua snickered. Unlike Sungjae, Joshua was sure of his feelings. But what he wasn't sure of was his confession. Will he confess to her before the year ends? She was already troubled with Sungjae. Joshua didn't want to be extra baggage. Even though it was difficult for Joshua, he needed to keep it in. Every time she smiled at him, Joshua just felt special. She was always sincere with her words. She always encouraged him without fail. And he tried doing the same for her but it was so difficult to cheer on the girl you like for her crush. He didn't wish that Sungjae would reject her. He just wished Joy would be happier in the future. It was a foolish wish but it was fitting for a foolish boy like him. 

"Do you think he'll answer my feelings?" Joy asked. 

"Knowing him," Joshua paused," He won't. He doesn't like serious matters like this. He always lived an easygoing life." 

"Yeah," Joy looked down," Maybe it was just a burden for him, that a girl like me complicated his life."

"That's where you're wrong," Joshua held Joy's hand," If I were him, I would consider myself lucky. A girl like you, hardworking, loyal, loving, falls in love with me? Someone who doesn't have any experience in love? A girl like you who's willing to wait amidst my cluelessness? I think I'll treasure you." 

"You're sweet," Joy finally smiled," You've been so full of support, Joshua. Thank you." 

_'You have no clue how much your words mean to me now,'_ Joshua thought but he only replied her with a knowing smile. "I'm always here for you, Joy, you know that. We're more similar than we would like to think." 

Joy felt a strange tug in her chest. She felt her cheeks getting hot but she ignored the feeling. She only loved Sungjae. And Joshua was just being nice to her. But it did feel comfortable, his hand on hers. She wished Sungjae would treat her that way. She wished Sungjae would tell her he loved her the same. Soon, she couldn't control her tears from falling. She thought she stood a chance. Why was Sungjae being vague again? Why did he look so unsure again? What mistake did she do? 

"Joy?" Joshua held her face," Don't cry. Your name is Joy for a reason. Come on."

"Why doesn't anything change, Joshua? Why doesn't Sungjae love me back even after all I did? Why isn't he clear with everything? Why is he leading me on?" It all came out as a whisper but Joshua heard everything. Joshua used to like that part of Sungjae, his indecisiveness. But this was a different matter all together. They were talking about a maiden's fragile heart here. 

"He just wants to be sure," Joshua told her," He wants to be careful with you." 

"He should've been sure of everything by now. It has been months since we started our deal!" She weakly hit Joshua's chest," And yet, what part of me doesn't he like? Maybe, I'm just not his type." 

"Ideal types are just standards, you know. If Cupid hits you with an arrow, you wouldn't mind anything. I guess Cupid's stuck in traffic so he hasn't hit Sungjae yet." It hurt Joshua saying all these words. He wanted to tell her to rely on him instead. Joshua will take care of her. But he knew her heart won't waver, even if her love doesn't reciprocate her feelings. Joshua was the same. 

Even if Joy will never love him back, it was too late. Joshua already fell in love with her. 


	24. Twenty Third Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> immaturity of teens

Joy stepped back and forth. She looked up then around. She needed time to think, to prepare herself for rejection. Time was ticking fast. She didn't have much time left before graduation. She wanted to break down and cry. Even though Sungjae already told her that she was at his heart's doorstep, even though it sounded like she had hope, she still doubted. She was so used to being hurt and being left behind. 

"I'm just..." She muttered. "Going to write something maybe... Do something to deal with this frustration."

"No one can help you with that," her sister looked at her for a second," But you. And maybe him. But what if you do date him? What about transferring to a university? Could you handle a long distance relationship? Could he handle it?" 

"That's cruel," Joy pouted," I guess, yeah... Maybe I would hurt him more than anything if he does fall in love with me."

"And are you sure he's falling? Sorry if I'm mean, eonni, but you've been fooled by a lot of guys in the past. You tell me he's different but are you so sure of that?" 

"Yes, no, maybe." 

"See?" The younger one shrugged," I hate to break it to you just weeks before your graduation but it might not work out well at all. Even if it doesn't though, I'm sure there's a guy out there fated for you." 

"Thanks," Joy hugged her sister," But I've been struggling for 2 years. A rejection would mean I wasted 2 years."

"Not exactly, this could prepare you for the next guy you'll come to like in college. Be a little positive."

Joy nodded before she decided to relax on her bed. She needed to make a move soon, or tell Sungjae face to face what her resolve was. Maybe she was just too into her feelings. Maybe she didn't think about this thoroughly. But she was Joy. She never thought things through. She always moved according to how she felt. This was too serious of a matter to do that. Because it's not just her heart at stake, there's a chance Sungjae's heart is too.

"I decided on something," Sungjae said aloud, making Sunghee look at him. 

"What, oppa?" 

"I'll reject her," Sungjae paused," Properly."

"I thought you liked eonni?" Sunghee tilted her head," Just when I thought you'll get yourself a girlfriend."

"I'll just end up hurting her," he told her," Joy deserves more than I could give her."

"And who are you to judge that?" She completely turned to her brother," She likes you. Maybe she's head over heels for you. She doesn't care what she deserves. She only cares if you have the same feelings as her."

"Even so," Sungjae whistled," It's going to be difficult. A long distance relationship? Will she able to handle that?"

"Ha!" Sunghee laughed," Maybe you'll be the one who can't handle it, oppa. If you think this negatively, don't bother falling in love with her. Oh yeah, too late."

"What's with your attitude?" 

"I just hate seeing a girl wait for nothing, for this long. It's evident that eonni will wait for you for years but," she turned to her assignment again," Just be quick. She'll go to university. She might find another guy who could treat her right, while you're here regretting."

"Why would I regret?"

"Because you didn't tell her how you feel. Eonni's a nice girl. She's bound to get a few guys to have a crush on her. Doesn't Joshua-oppa like her now? He won't be the last guy to do that. But it's your decision if you're going to be the last guy she'll love."

"You won't understand."

"Maybe I don't but still," Sunghee narrowed her eyes at her brother," I'm human, oppa. I can feel how she feels. It's your decision if you'll take my advice or not."

The next day, Joy didn't go to Sungjae for lunch, which he thought was odd. 

"If you're going to ask me where Joy is, she's dealing with the papers she needs for a scholarship," Seulgi told him," Do not play with her at this crucial moment, Sungjae. She has her whole life in front of her. I don't want a guy like you to ruin it."

"I won't," Sungjae bit his lower lip," I don't want to ruin her chances. I want her to leave this place with a happy heart."

"What? You're going to date her?" 

Sungjae shrugged before he left Seulgi there to wonder. When Joshua caught Sungjae, he immediately pulled his friend to his side and asked him," What was that? Are you going to date her? Are you sure of your feelings?" 

"I didn't say anything about dating her," Sungjae shrugged once again," I don't want to distract her. She recently passed her entrance exams. Now, she's applying for a scholarship. I don't want to destroy her when she's rebuilding herself."

"Then what? You're going to leave her hanging?" 

"Leave who hanging?" Joy suddenly appeared near the two boys," Sorry, I'm late. I just did some errands."

"No one," Sungjae showed her a bright smile," Want to join us, Joshua?"

"Nah," Joshua slowly walked away," I'll just feel like a third wheel."

"Let's go?" Joy went ahead. Sungjae watched her intently. The slight jump in her step. The way her pony tail goes side to side when she walks. The slight curve on the corner of her lips. The way she looked around the place as if everything was new to her. Slowly, and slowly, Sungjae noticed the small things about her. Like the way she taps her fingers on her lunch box or the way she leans forward whenever she talked to someone. But even so, this was somehow what Sungjae hated. He could notice the way her eyebrows met whenever she slightly smiled sometimes, as if her smiles were forced, or her flushed cheeks in the morning meant she was crying again.

Sungjae knew it was too late. He somehow fell in love with her within a few months. He watched her step forward without him, but he wanted to chase her. His thoughts were battling each other. Would he run towards her and hold her hand during the journey? Or will he watch her silhouette disappear, knowing it was the logical reason? 

"Joy, could we meet up after our last graduation practice?" 


	25. Final Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> joy --> sadness

The days passed as they always did. Joy didn't have all the chances she wanted to see Sungjae for the last time. She was an officer of her club. Sungjae was the same. Both of them were busy as graduation slowly approached. They needed to assign new officers. They had papers for college to attend to, especially Joy who wanted to get into Ehwa and on a scholarship. It was a tough competition for Korean students at that time. Both of them didn't want to regret anything at that moment. 

Then the day Joy was nervous about arrived. It was the last day of their graduation practice. If she wanted to tell Sungjae anything, that was her last chance. She won't be able to talk to Sungjae on the graduation day itself. They weren't classmates and her family will leave as soon as the program finishes. Her palms were getting sweaty as their teacher said it was their last round of the program before going home. She glanced in Sungjae's direction for more than a few times. She was so nervous. 

"Okay, great job, kids!" Their teacher clapped before dismissing them with a smile. "Congratulations and have fun while you can! You aren't highschoolers after tomorrow!"

"We'll basically be out-of-school youth before we could enroll though," Joshua whispered to Hyuk, getting a small chuckle from him. 

"I heard Sungjae was going to give his answer to Joy later. You aren't going to stop him?" Hyuk asked. Joshua smiled to himself, a bit of sadness in his eyes.

"If Joy can be happy with him, who am I to stop them right? I'm sure I can find a person fated for me. It's just that Joy isn't her."

"Tough luck," Hyuk patted his back," You're charming and handsome anyway. You can get the next woman you'll fall in love with."

Joshua noticed Sungjae running off as soon as he signed his name on the attendance. His eyes followed him, until Sungjae got to talk to Joy. Joy looked so nervous. Joshua's chest ached. He wanted that same reaction from her. He wanted to make her heartbeat quicken. He wanted her to acknowledge him as more than a friend. He wanted to hug her, kiss her, but he knew it was impossible. Joy loved Sungjae. And Sungjae looked like he realized he loved her back. Joshua was just an extra, someone easily forgotten by the main leads. He looked down before looking in another direction. He didn't want to cry. But he needed to. Soon. 

"This is the last day," Joy managed to say as she tried to keep up with Sungjae's footsteps," Where are you taking me?" 

"Somewhere quiet," Sungjae answered before staying quiet again. He seemed troubled. Joy didn't know why. She thought she was already there. Then why? Why did his eyes show doubt? Why did his pace tell her of uneasiness? Did he realize something? Or was she overthinking again? She didn't know. She didn't want to know all over again. She was so nervous. Those two words were the only words he said to her while they were together. 

"What's the matter?" 

_Silence._

What's the matter? She wanted to ask that to herself suddenly. Of course, Sungjae wouldn't tell her while they weren't in the quiet place he spoke of. She felt her chest getting heavy. Her hands were starting to tremble. Her insecurities were attacking her again. Did he realize she wasn't good enough? She knew she wasn't good enough. But she hoped that wasn't the case. She prayed it wasn't the case. 

"Joy," Sungjae stopped in his tracks. Joy looked around her and noticed this was the place she told him of her burdens. He held her tight that time. It felt nostalgic. Her feelings weren't this complicated back then. Sungjae turned to her, a sad smile on his face. 

"I'm sorry..." 

It came off as a whisper. He was so cheerful when he told her to meet with him. But why did it change? She prayed for it to be a dream. 

"I'm really sorry, Joy..."

But it wasn't. Joy felt numb. No tears came out. She could feel her heart slowly shattering. She could feel each piece piercing her insides. She could feel her mind become blank. 

_Why?_

Her mind croaked. But of course, Sungjae couldn't hear her. Why did he lead her on? She thought she was there. She thought she managed to steal his heart. Was it all a failure? A waste? Were her efforts all for nothing? She opened her mouth but no words left her lips. She didn't know what to say. It's alright? I expected it? It's fine? Okay? No, it wasn't. There was no use lying. Her face said everything. 

"It's not you, it's me."

_No, don't say that._

She repeated in her mind. That line was so cliche. She hated it. She slowly raised her hand but she couldn't slap him. Tears formed in her eyes as soon as she saw his face. He looked so sorry, so sincere. She loved him, so dearly, with all of her heart. Wasn't that enough to convince him? Was that his real reason? She didn't want to believe him. But she had no choice right? 

"Please say something."

_What? What should I say?_

She didn't know herself. She didn't know how to react. This was the first time she invested this much to one person. This was the worst heartbreak she ever experienced. 

"Joy?"

_Don't say my name, please._

She slowly knelt on the ground and wept. Sungjae didn't know what to do. He knew it wasn't right for him to reject a girl the day before their graduation. But this was their deadline. She failed. He told her his sincere feelings. He didn't fall in love with her. He thought he did. But he was wrong. Another guy deserved her more. Joy would only get hurt if she stayed at his side. Sungjae was still inexperienced and she will never be a priority to him. She didn't deserve that. She deserved a guy who will put her first, someone who will always be there for her. This reasoning was flawed but this was how Sungjae understood everything. 

"Leave me alone," Joy whimpered. He wanted to comfort her but he knew it was better if he left her alone. He turned his back to her, putting out his phone. 

_Joshua, Joy's in the park near school. Come to her ASAP. I'm sorry._

The next day, Sungjae just couldn't stop looking at Joy. Her aura changed. Nonetheless, she still looked beautiful. Joshua told him that he brought Joy home after comforting her. He questioned Sungjae's decision. Why did he reject her? Everyone thought Joy stood a chance. No one thought this would happen. Even Sungjae didn't know. But that was his decision. Joy deserved the best in life, after experiencing some of life's worst. Sungjae knew he wasn't in love with her. He just liked her company more than another person's. He kept trying to make up reasons why he wasn't in love with her.

Joy never looked at him. She didn't glance at him. She felt hurt. She was hurt. And he was the reason for that hurt. She still felt the pieces of her heart piercing her. She felt her whole body getting numb. Every time she closed her eyes, she would remember that moment. She hated it. She hated herself for not being able to make him fall for her. She felt so weak, so vulnerable. 

That was the last time she'd see him. She took one glance before leaving the place. She wasn't in the mood to deal with anything. Sungjae caught her glance. He knew he was at fault but that was it. This was the end. 

Their time was up. 


	26. Timer Stopped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> after how many years

Years passed by pretty quickly for both of them. Joy became a diplomat, going to different countries from time to time, while Sungjae became a game developer. It had been around 7 years since that time, that graduation that ended everything between them. Sungjae never had the guts to message her on social media while Joy did every thing she can to avoid having contact with him. 

"What?" Joy asked on the phone. She was talking to Wendy. "A reunion? But like, it hasn't been a decade since we all last saw each other. It has been like only... 4...5...6...7! 7 years since our graduation. What's this all of a sudden? Oh... Some kind of special celebration of our school? I'll try to come then. Oh, I'm in Thailand right now. You're still in France? I'll see you in Korea then? Okay. Yeah, I'm excited to see him again. I missed Korea. Oh, I have a lot of paperwork in my hands now. I'll talk to you when I can. Okay, bye." 

Joy typed her report on her laptop. She lived life as she seemed fit. She was done with playing safe, with putting a lot on stake, and so, here she was, a woman of the modern age. She worked a lot to eat, to travel and to give herself the best in life. She deserved it. She knew she did. She worked hard to get her bachelor's and master's degrees. She owed it to herself that she was where she was at that moment, a representative of South Korea in foreign affairs. Her name might not be famous for folks outside politics but everyone in her field knew of her. 

"I'll just schedule my flight for this Saturday," she whispered to herself," The last meeting is on Friday so I have the rest of that day to get ready." 

It had been lonely, if anyone would ask her. She transferred to Ehwa before taking her master's degree in Yonsei. It was competitive, to maintain a scholarship in those schools. But she did it. She climbed to the top with the help of her family and friends. Every time she recalled her high school self, she would only laugh. She didn't need any man to succeed. She was fine by herself. She knew how to take care of herself. She wasn't ready for relationships. She wanted to secure a stable job, a stable income, before getting a stable partner. 

Meanwhile, in South Korea, there was Yook Sungjae. He obviously hadn't slept for a while. They were working on a new game, a lot of programming. They needed to meet the deadline. He worked in Seoul, sometimes he would go to Busan or to Jeju for meetings. Or sometimes, he would go to Incheon. But most of the time, he was in Seoul, in a room which smelled of coffee, with people who lacked sleep like him. 

As he tapped the various codes he was assigned to, he remembered what Hyuk told him the last time he saw him. He invited him to the reunion. Sungjae wasn't sure if he was going to go. He did have fun during his high school years but there was this haunting guilt still following him. He wasn't sure at how he'll approach Joy. He never heard from her ever since their 2nd year in college. He wasn't sure what happened to her. He only knew that she pursued her studies in Ehwa and that she studied in Yonsei. That was about it. 

"Hey, Yook," his coworker slid his chair near Sungjae's," Look at this, this chick's making waves in politics."

"I swear if that's just one of the pretty faces you like so much," Sungjae paused when he saw the girl's face," That's the girl I told you about, the girl I rejected."

"Your loss, dude, seems like she's going into the UN. Plus, she's a beauty," he whistled," Do you think she has a boyfriend?" 

"Knowing her? I guess she's even engaged at this point." 

The next week, it was the start of the 50th anniversary of their school. There were a lot of people there, from different batches and different generations. There were even families who went there who were all from that school. Sungjae was there early, mainly because his sister kept pestering him to go there early. He already met up with Hyuk, Jungkook and his other friends. He had not seen Joshua for some reason, also Joy even though her friends were already there. It was only around 5 minutes before the start of the program and yet, she still wasn't there. He wondered if she was too busy to attend the reunion. 

"Joy!" 

Sungjae turned his head when he heard Yeri exclaim in relief. Joy looked so tired. She seemed like she came from a meeting. She looked so beautiful, prettier than a picture could ever get. Aside from what she was wearing, she still looked the same. He wondered if he should say hi or anything. Minutes after Joy arrived, Joshua did too. He suddenly became suspicious. He wondered what really happened after he called for Joshua. 

After the program, Joy greeted every single one of her friends. She even gave Jungkook and Joshua a hug. She still seemed so bright. She finally looked at him. He expected a shrug or a glare, but instead, she smiled at him. Maybe working for a lot of international agencies made smiling something so natural to do. Sungjae took a deep breath in before approaching her. 

"Hey," he awkwardly said," I see you're successful."

"You are too," she looked at him," I hear of your name from my coworkers. You're from a famous company."

"Did you get settled already? I noticed the ring on your finger," Sungjae pointed out.

"Nope," she shook her head," This is just a ring I got from my first boyfriend. I keep it whenever I'm nervous."

"Are you nervous right now?" 

"What kind of girl wouldn't get nervous in front of the guy she once liked?" She was so cute, Sungjae thought. 

"We're adults now. Wouldn't seven years be enough to make yourself less nervous?"

Joy shrugged. 

"Do you want to have some coffee after? I mean, if like,you're not busy," Sungjae was not going to back out at that moment. He knew he was ready for her. He knew he could take care of her. She looked single. She seemed so. He was hoping she was. He didn't want to let her go again. Someone like Joy won't appear in his lifetime ever again. 

"I prefer spending more time with my family while I'm in Korea. I'll be staying in Europe for a while," Joy answered. Sungjae looked so sad after hearing it. She then chuckled. "But I guess I can squeeze you in, Mr Game Developer."

"Really?" His face lit up. 

"But I have to warn you," she hit his arm jokingly before gesturing that she had to go," I'm not ready for a relationship now."

It felt nostalgic. But Sungjae didn't want to go back in time. He just needed to win her heart, just like she tried in the past. She gave him a second chance. He won't waste it. No, not again. He won't waste any time while he has her there. Every minute will be precious. Every word spoken will repeat in his mind. Maybe this was how Joy felt back then. He guessed it was only fair that she'll treat him the same way as he did her. 

But like her, he won't give up until she's his. 

**Author's Note:**

> I first posted this on AsianFanfics and decided to have this as my first story here in AO3. I already finished writing this so I'm only transferring it. I hope you have fun with what I've written years ago, all about my high school crush in a SungJoy setting!


End file.
